It has been reported that Apple will launch new products with Mini LED backlight technology including iPad Pro and MacBook Pro in 2020 and 2021. Recently, Apple is reportedly developing six products adopting Mini LED technology including a 12.9-inch iPad Pro, a 27-inch iMac Pro, a 14.1-inch MacBook Pro, a 16-inch MacBook Pro, a 10.2-inch iPad and a 7.9-inch iPad mini.

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Apple’s products with Mini LED display technology are believed to boost demands in the Mini LED market. Taiwan-based LED chip manufacturer Epistar, who is a few step ahead with its Mini LED technology, could benefit from the growth. Epistar recently announced its plan to expand Mini LED production capacity with increased capital expenditure. The company aims to turn 95% of its blue LED capacity in Taiwan into Mini LED production to meet the rising demands from its clients in the coming two years.

The capacity expansion plan matches the Apple rumors with these Mini LED based products are scheduled to launch in the second half of 2020 to the end of 2021.

LED equipment companies also proactively developing solutions for Mini LED production covering mass transferring, testing and repairing. Unlike conventional LEDs, Mini LED production requires advanced accuracy with its miniaturized sizes that equipment suppliers to further improve their products. Currently, K&S and ASM Pacific have introduced equipment solutions for mass transferring and bonding. FitTech also pushes its testing equipment for Mini LEDs.

Mini LED technology has entered the end market since the second half of 2018 and was expected to bloom in 2019. However, many planed products were postponed due to the trade dispute between the U.S. and China. In 2020, the spreading coronavirus epidemic further impacts the industry. Despite that, Apple is reportedly processing its Mini LED product development and will push Mini LED progress. It is

According to the analysis of LEDinside, production cost is still the key factor that affect the penetration rate of Mini LED product. If the production cost is too high and lead to expansive selling price of the products, it is unlikely to achieve high sales and thus hardly lead to a rising trend in the market. Thus, whether Mini LED will become a market trend and bring rising demands still depends on how Apple and its supply chain manage to reduce production cost soon enough to match its releasing schedule.