Despite recent speculation, Apple's upcoming iPad Air 2 may not boast an IGZO display after all, according to a new report.
IGZO displays seem to be gaining ground and Apple was rumored to pack such technology into its next-generation iPad Air, but new information now claims otherwise.
According to a new report, the iPad Air 3 will be the first iPad to pack an IGZO display, and that slate will not launch until next year. IGZO displays are designed to offer better viewing angles over existing LCD panels, while also delivering greater color accuracy. Moreover, IGZO displays are also more power-efficient compared to current LCD displays, which could allow for a better battery life overall for the device.
The iPad Air 2 will reportedly not pack an IGZO display because of low yield rates from Sharp, the company charged with making the displays for the next-generation iPad Air for Apple.
The news comes from Korea's ETNews (via GforGames), which claims that Sharp is currently seeing low yield rates for the displays and for this reason it will not be able to make them in a timely manner. As a consequence, the publication speculates, the iPad Air 2 will skip such technology, but Apple will eventually adopt it for next year's iPad 3.
Samsung and LG are both reportedly planning to use IGZO technology in their future devices, making serious investments toward this endeavor. If Samsung and LG pull it off for their upcoming devices next year, chances are that Apple will hop on the bandwagon as well.
In conclusion, more IGZO panels may find their way to more devices in the future, but for now things don't look very promising for this year's devices, at least not in this aspect. Nevertheless, the upcoming iPad Air 2 is still expected to boast top-notch specs and features and notable improvements over its predecessor, with or without an IGZO display.
At the same time, it's all in the rumor state for now, which means that nothing is set in stone at this point. As always with rumors and speculations, it is highly advisable to take everything with a grain of salt. We'll keep you up to date as soon as we learn more, so stay tuned.
