Samsung Display is reportedly the only supplier expected to provide OLED panels for Apple's upgraded MacBook Air model, that could arrive after 2027.
All of Apple's existing MacBook models are equipped with LCD screeens
Photo Credit: Apple
Apple is reportedly working on equipping its MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with OLED screens, and these improved variants were expected to arrive in 2026 and 2027, respectively. However, a new report suggests that the launch of the OLED MacBook Air model could be delayed beyond 2027, due to issues related to the price of the device, as well as supply chain challenges. Apple's first handset with an OLED screen was the iPhone 12 which arrived in 2020, while the company unveiled the iPad Pro (2024) as its first OLED-equipped tablet earlier this year.
All of Apple's current MacBook models — including the recently launched MacBook Pro (2024) models with M4 chips — are equipped with Liquid Retina and Liquid Retina XDR screens, and the company is expected to upgrade the MacBook Pro with an OLED screen in 2026, while the MacBook Air was tipped to arrive a year later. However, recent reports have suggested that the OLED MacBook Air could face additional delays.
Citing sources at South Korean component manufacturers, The Elec reports that Apple could postpone the launch of the first MacBook with an OLED screen beyond 2027, and that the delay is primarily due to the expected increase in price of the device, and the company's concern that an OLED screen upgrade might not be enough to convince customers to upgrade from older models.
Shipment forecasts for the iPad Pro (2024) — Apple's first tablet with an OLED screen — have reportedly been lowered by analysts after sales of the tablet fell in Q3 2024. Analysts now expect Apple to ship up to 7 million iPad Pro models, down from around 10 million users, according to the publication.
Another factor that could affect the launch of the MacBook Air model with an OLED screen is Apple's supply chain. The publication says that Apple has only two OLED display panel makers — LG Display and Samsung Display — which makes it difficult for the Cupertino company to keep prices low.
While the MacBook Air is expected to feature a single layer OLED panel, Apple is tipped to equip upgrade the MacBook Pro with a two-stack OLED panel — it used a 'Tandem OLED' panel on the iPad Pro (2024). It is currently unclear whether the purported timeline for the OLED MacBook Pro will also be delayed, alongside the company's OLED MacBook Air model.
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