Apple could use a ‘hybrid’ panel for the first OLED iPad, report claims

Apple may not use the display panels used in Iphone or even Apple Watch first OLED screen iPad won’t release before 2023. The Cupertino-based tech giant is concerned that the type of OLED panel used in Iphone The Elec reports can look wrinkled if used for devices with screens larger than 10 inches. The company is planning to use “hybrid” displays, however, the technology will be available soon.
Different types of OLED screens
There are two types of OLED screens – rigid and flexible OLED screens. Initially, manufacturers used rigid OLED screens, which came with a glass background. After that, most smartphones, including iPhones started using polyimide films (for flexible panels) and replaced glass panels.
According to the report, polyamide films are considered to be more advantageous because the material is not only cheaper and easier to manufacture, but also lightweight and flexible. These screens are useful for curved and folding screens and have also been used for modern iPhones.

The problem with flexible OLED screens
The report mentions that flexible OLED displays have problems with scaling to larger screens because the manufacturing process can leave (small but visible) wrinkles on the screen. So Apple is said to be planning to use a ‘hybrid’ OLED panel, which will be a combination of both rigid and flexible OLED panel technology, the report claims. A hybrid OLED panel with a glass substrate (rigid) and a thin film coating (flexible).
According to the report, flexible OLED panels are made by polishing glass substrates with polyimide in liquid form. The polyimide is deposited on the initial substrate surface and then the glass is removed via a laser, leaving a plastic substrate made of solidified polyimide. The report mentions that some parts of the polyimide can be wrinkled by heat from the laser removal process.
The OLED screens used for iPhones also have wrinkles, but they are so small that we can’t detect them with the naked eye. However, these wrinkles can become apparent when used for screens larger than 10 inches, the report found.

Apple could come up with a solution to this problem, allowing the company to use standard flexible polyimide displays. However, the report says that the tech giant could go a different route and make full use of “hybrid” displays.
Moreover, SAMSUNG and LG are also developing a next-generation OLED panel technology called Ultra Thin Glass (UTG). 9to5Mac claims these displays will enter mass production in about a year and are expected to be available in time for the first OLED iPad, 9to5Mac claims.