Apple iPad Pro A2378 Wi-Fi Design Wins

In this device, Apple has included two of their own PMICs, SK Hynix 1y nm 8 Gb LPDDR4X SDRAM die, Kioxia has won the NAND Flash slots, and we have also found NXP's new SN210 NFC & Secure Element IC.

Displays

Apple iPad Pro 12.9” A2378 Pixels

The iPad Pro 12.9” is the first Apple iPad with a mini-LED display which Apple calls their Liquid Retina XDR display. The new mini-LED display is validation that LCD technology can still move forward and compete with the OLED displays. Mini-LEDs are physically smaller than the LEDs used in the typical LCD display. The mini-LED size allows for more LEDS (in theory, almost 5x more), to be used in a display design, delivering better colors. And even though there are more LEDs in a mini-LED display, mini-LED displays are said to have better power efficiency than a same size LCD display.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9” A2014, TFT-LCD 2732 x 2048 Pixels

Apple iPad Pro 11 A2068, TFT, 2388 x 1668 Pixels

The mini-LED display market is still in its infancy for the consumer market. Once TechInsights has completed the Deep Dive Teardown and analyzed the entire Display subsystem, we will have a better understanding as to how the new iPad Pro mini-LED display’s cost compares to the the $116 display costs from the 2019 iPad Pro 12.9”, as well as how the new 12.9” mini-LED display compares to this year’s iPad Pro 11 which still uses LCD technology.

Apple iPad Pro A2378, miniLED Display Subsystem - Backlight Sheet

Disassembled, the miniLED display looks similar to that of an LCD assembly, with diffusing panels, transmissive sheets, etc.

The Apple iPad Pro 12.9” is the only 2021 iPad Pro with a miniLED design. The backlight layer has almost 2600 dimming zones with over 10,000 LEDs. Also on the backlight flex, we identified more STMicroelectronic ICs. This is a substantial increase for STMicroelectronics from their single design win on the Display subsystems of the last two iPad Pro generations.

Apple iPad Pro A2378, miniLED Display Subsystem Disassembled

Design Win Change or Second Source

We have found what appears to be either a second source or a new design winner for the Ambient Light Sensor spot in this year’s iPad Pro 2378. For many of Apple’s products the ambient light sensor design winner has traditionally been AMS, however, we found STMicroelectronics ambient light sensors on the Front Sensor flex which supports the new Apple TrueDepth Camera system. This means for the iPad Pro A2378 in our labs, STMicroelectronics has at least three design spots where they have historically only had one.

Apple iPad Pro A2378 Cameras/Proximity Sensor

Apple iPad Pro 2021 Front Cameras

In terms of Image Sensors, we reveal that Apple’s new iPad Pro 2021 features an upgraded Sony main front camera with a 12 MP resolution and a 1.0 µm pixel pitch CIS. This is compared to the 7 MP resolution, 1.0 µm pixel pitch selfie camera used in the 2020 iPad Pro.

For Face ID, Apple continues to employ the same ST Microelectronics 56G08A Infrared camera, a 1.4 MP resolution, 2.8 µm pixel pitch image sensor. We also reveal that the 2021 iPad Pro utilizes an STMicroelectronics Proximity sensor chip consisting of a front-illuminated SPAD direct Time-of-Flight (d-ToF) CIS. The d-ToF module also consists of an integrated IR Flood illuminator and VCSEL driver chip and an IR photodiode.

In terms of rear cameras, Apple has retained the same triple rear cam module used in the 2020 iPad Pro, consisting of a Sony 12MP resolution, 0.9 µm wide Camera, and a 10 MP resolution, 0.9 µm pixel pitch Ultrawide camera. Apple has also retained the same Scanning LiDAR chip with the Sony 150 x 200 (0.03 MP) resolution, 10 µm pixel pitch SPAD CMOS image sensor. The re-use of the Scanning LiDAR chip is to be expected as it has only recently been introduced and possibly not yet exploited to its fullest potential.

Design Winners through the Generations

Apple iPad Pro 12.9" A2014

Apple iPad Pro 11 A2068