2025 IPAD PRO ENTERS PRODUCTION, BUT COSTS MAY TURN BUYERS AWAY

Production for the 2025 iPad Pro is underway, with Samsung Display and LG Display starting mass production of OLED panels earlier this month.Production for the 2025 iPad Pro is underway, with Samsung Display and LG Display starting mass production of OLED panels earlier this month.

- 

MANUFACTURING KICKS OFF

The new models, expected to launch around October, will feature Apple's next-generation M5 chip, built on a 3-nanometer process for better speed and efficiency. The tablets will likely keep the sleek design and Tandem OLED displays introduced in 2024, with 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, but a minor tweak could see the rear Apple logo shift to a landscape orientation for better alignment with keyboard use.

The manufacturing push, led by China's BYD Electronics as the primary assembler, signals Apple's confidence in its supply chain, despite earlier concerns about high costs.

The company aims to produce enough units for a fall rollout, aligning with its historical October launches for iPad Pros in 2018 and 2022. However, reports suggest the elevated price of the OLED models, which start at $999 for the 11-inch and $1,299 for the 13-inch, may dampen demand, echoing last year's sluggish sales.

Apple's goal is to transition all iPads to OLED, following the iPhone's path, with the iPad mini slated for 2026 and iPad Air for 2027. Efforts to diversify suppliers face hurdles, as Chinese firm BOE struggles to meet Apple's low-temperature polycrystalline oxide standards for OLED panels, leaving Samsung and LG as primary providers.

HIGH PRICES STIFLE DEMAND

The 2025 iPad Pro's premium pricing is a sticking point. The current M4 models, launched at $999 and $1,299, saw a $200 hike over their predecessors due to the costly Tandem OLED displays, which use two fused panels for brighter, richer visuals. Analysts expect the M5 iPad Pro to maintain similar prices, with no confirmed reductions despite hopes for a more accessible cost.