San Francisco, Dec 31 (IANS): Apple has been long rumoured to be working on an iPad Pro with a mini-LED display and now a new report has claimed that it will be launched in the first quarter of 2021.

According to DigiTimes, Apple has expanded its supply chain for screens and touch panels. With this, display maker BOE has also received approval for supplying display panels for iPhones and GIS will provide touch panels for both iPhone and iPad Pro.

GIS (General Interface Solutions) has already allotted around $76.3 million in investments in China. These investments will help GIS for expanding operations at its subsidiary in Chengdu.

Apple has been working on mini-LED displays for quite some time now and there are a total of six products in the pipeline ranging from iPads to Macs.

Apple will accelerate mini-LED panels' adoption because they are performing better than expected in current testing.

The main barrier to adoption is the micro-LED manufacturing process, which is complicated.

The increased supply capacity and competition among suppliers will reportedly drive Apple's cost for mini-LED display dies from $75-$85 down to around $45.

30-40 per cent of iPads shipped in 2021 may feature the new display tech, alongside 20-30 per cent of MacBooks.

Earlier, Apple was granted a patent for a fitness band that may use micro-LED, but there's no confirmation if the company is actually planning to enter that segment.

Apple could also use the micro-LED display panel for the seventh-generation Apple Watch.