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iPad Pro's Tandem OLED Display Tech Could Extend to Future Vision Pro

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LG and Samsung have prototyped micro-OLED displays with tandem OLED technology, according to Korean publication Sisa Journal, paving the way for a future model of Apple's Vision Pro mixed-reality headset to potentially adopt the technology.

apple-vision-pro-lenses.jpg

The report said it is unclear if or when LG and Samsung will begin mass production of tandem micro-OLED displays, but with a second-generation Vision Pro not expected to be released until late 2026 at the earliest, there is still time for the two companies to commercialize the technology for potential inclusion in the next model.

Earlier this year, Apple released new iPad Pro models with tandem OLED displays, which have two organic light-emitting layers stacked together for increased brightness, improved power efficiency, and longer longevity compared to single-layer OLED displays. These same benefits would extend to a future Vision Pro that adopts the technology.

Here is how Apple described the iPad Pro's tandem OLED technology:
The Ultra Retina XDR display features state-of-the-art tandem OLED technology that uses two OLED panels and combines the light from both to provide phenomenal full-screen brightness. The new iPad Pro supports an incredible 1000 nits of full-screen brightness for SDR and HDR content, and 1600 nits peak for HDR. No other device of its kind delivers this level of extreme dynamic range. Tandem OLED technology enables sub-millisecond control over the colour and luminance of each pixel, taking XDR precision further than ever. Specular highlights in photos and video appear even brighter, and there's more detail in shadows and low light than ever before on iPad — all while delivering even more responsiveness to content in motion.
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The current Vision Pro is equipped with two 4K micro-OLED displays supplied by Sony.

All in all, the technology now exists for the next-generation Vision Pro to feature even brighter and more power efficient displays in a few years from now.

Article Link: iPad Pro's Tandem OLED Display Tech Could Extend to Future Vision Pro
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/07/31/vision-pro-tandem-oled-report/
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Nik said:
I have to admit, I forgot about the Vision Pro already.
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Probably because of the high price and large design.

8 years from now when this thing looks like a pair of glasses 🤓 or swim goggles 🥽 👓 and the price is like $1000 instead of $3500 then it will interest you and be on your mind or wish list
 
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The current Vision Pro is plenty bright enough, even outside, though outdoor use cases are pretty limited (unless you're an attention-seeking YouTuber of course ;)). I wonder if tandem OLED would instead be used to reduce the size of the optics (and therefore weight)?
 
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I don't think increased brightness has any benefit for the screen. You'd always take increased resolution although it's at diminishing returns at this stage and a higher refresh rate.

The bigger issue is blurring when you move your head. The FOV is no where near big enough. The reflections on the lenses are bad, especially at night with white - I have prescription lenses which probably make it even worse but it's bad enough with just the normal lenses - and of course they need to be lighter and more comfortable to wear.
 
dannys1 said:
I don't think increased brightness has any benefit for the screen. You'd always take increased resolution although it's at diminishing returns at this stage and a higher refresh rate.

The bigger issue is blurring when you move your head. The FOV is no where near big enough. The reflections on the lenses are bad, especially at night with white - I have prescription lenses which probably make it even worse but it's bad enough with just the normal lenses - and of course they need to be lighter and more comfortable to wear.
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Yes, I agree. Anything to improve the Field of View and motion blurring when moving would be very welcome.

There was an interesting video by SnazzyLabs which said that the reflections are just physics and there may not be anything that can be done about that when displaying very dark images. I suspect this is also why Vision Pro doesn't really support Dark Mode for the UI.
 
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re-cycle said:
There was an interesting video by SnazzyLabs which said that the reflections are just physics and there may not be anything that can be done about that when displaying very dark images. I suspect this is also why Vision Pro doesn't really support Dark Mode for the UI.
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Yeah maybe, though i've never really noticed them on the Quest 2 or 3. I wonder if it's just because the resolution is so high your eye is drawn to that instead.

I thought it was the prescription lenses at first but I think it's the same without them and i've seen people who use without mention it too.
 
3499 for a normal OLED and 4499 for a Tandem, maybe never :cool:, hello Android, so sad, visionOS is better but ...
 
Tandem OLED's biggest selling point is improved brightness at lower energy consumption. The larger an OLED panel is the more energy is required to achieve comparable brightness versus a smaller panel, and the added energy consumption leads to added wear. That's why OLED laptops aren't as bright as their LCD counterparts. Tandem panels essentially allow Apple to stack the brightness without increasing the power draw of the individual layers, thus allowing for a brighter display without the added power draw or wear.

I bring this up because the panels inside the Vision Pro are tiny. Tandem OLED makes sense for a larger panel like an iPad but makes much less sense for a device with such small screens.
 
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I'd love to see Vision Pro "Success Stories" being published in the same way that Apple Watch has been instrumental in saving lives during emergencies.

Where are the stories of the doctors that wouldn't have been able to do a surgery without the Vision Pro?
 
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bradman83 said:
Tandem OLED's biggest selling point is improved brightness at lower energy consumption. The larger an OLED panel is the more energy is required to achieve comparable brightness versus a smaller panel, and the added energy consumption leads to added wear. That's why OLED laptops aren't as bright as their LCD counterparts. Tandem panels essentially allow Apple to stack the brightness without increasing the power draw of the individual layers, thus allowing for a brighter display without the added power draw or wear.

I bring this up because the panels inside the Vision Pro are tiny. Tandem OLED makes sense for a larger panel like an iPad but makes much less sense for a device with such small screens.
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Could there be creative ways that the stacked displays be used for displaying images? If each panel only had to do half the work that a single panel would normally do, they could be more responsive and last longer. There's gotta be unique and creative ways that such tech can be exploited that's not possible with single panels.

Two heads are better than one, after all. 😇
 
Agree with other posters that tandem OLED seems to solve a brightness (NITs) problem in brighter "outdoor" environments but since AVP is essentially a dark space without a lot of stray light, I don't know if tamdem OLED can solve a problem here?
Seems like lots of NITs might "blind" the viewer.
If you give me a monster extended screen for my MacBook with no/low latency, I am ready to buy AVP. I still have not test-drove one in the store yet...
Yeah, >$3500 is a lot of money, but a portable high-resolution, massive screen that I can use at home or on the road would make it "worth it" for me. The consumptive stuff (movies, photos, video calls) would be gravy.
 
As far as we've been told; the micro-oled array in the avp was cutting edge and exhorbitant. This seems like it'll make it even more expensive?
 
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