This is according to a report from DigiTimes who claims that a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with mini LEDs could debut in Q1 2021. In a way, part of the report actually makes sense. The last time Apple updated the iPad Pro was in the earlier part of 2020 where they introduced a LiDAR sensor and also unlocked an additional core in its chipset, but otherwise it wasn’t a particularly major update.
This means that if Apple is indeed sticking to annual refreshes of its products, then Q1 2021 actually makes a lot of sense. However, whether or not we’ll see the adoption of mini LED display panels is a different story. So far, Apple’s iPads have all been relying on LCD. This is versus the iPhones which have made the transition to OLED.
Mini LEDs are expected to be a happy middle between LCD and OLED, where they will offer up the benefits of OLED but are expected to be cheaper to manufacture. Either way, if you’re looking to upgrade, if you can wait for it, then maybe holding off for the next few months might not be the worst idea.