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Apple to Buy Mini LED Backlights from Taiwanese Suppliers
May 17, 2020

A Taiwan mini-LED supplier has reportedly gained Mini LED OEM Orders from Apple 
 
Figure 1: Notebook w/Mini LED Backlight

Source: Trendforce

 
A  new analytical report from Trendforce stated that as "Apple pushes forward the development of Mini LED backlight technology, the company is expected to incorporate Mini LED backlight technology to improve the performance of its existing products such as the iPad and Pro Display. The application of Mini LED backlight technology is expected to reach 18% penetration rate in the overall market for IT products in 2025. Since the Mini LED die bonding process requires equipment with high speed and high accuracy, surface-mount technology solutions provider TSMT has procured high-speed die attach equipment from Kulicke & Soffa in response to large-scale, high-spec OEM orders from Apple.
 
Trendforce Assistant Research Manager Max Chen indicates that the massive expansion of the LED industry has also stimulated a corresponding surge in the peripherals market, which benefits both existing and newly developed LED process equipment."

Figure 2: Taiwan’s Mini LED Supply Chain

​Source: TrendForce

 
The beginning of a new shift to mini-LED based displays is exciting a lot of investment in the supply chain. In a report by 'Medium' describes the difference between Mini-LED, OLED and micro-LED that is superior to OLED. Apple has a  few micro-LED patents on record for the next higher-end standard here: 01, 02, 03 & 04.
 
TrendForce apparently lacks understanding of Mini LED backlights as they say “Mini-LED displays are similar to OLED displays in that they could provide deeper blacks over LCD displays”. Mini LED by themselves don’t improve the CR. Future mini-LED displays lack the superior image quality if micro-LED displays that TrendForce says Apple engineers are currently developing.