Apple's MacBook Air Unlikely to Get OLED Upgrade Soon; OLED MacBook Pro Could Arrive This Year: Kuo

The MacBook Pro and MacBook Air lineups were refreshed earlier this month by the Cupertino-based tech giant, bringing the M5 Pro/Max and M5 processors to the laptops, respectively. Moreover, the company unveiled its new low-cost laptop, dubbed MacBook Neo, which replaces the MacBook Air series as the entry-level offering from Apple. The three new laptops are equipped with LCD screens. However, Apple has reportedly been working to bring OLED panels to its laptops for a while. Now, the launch timelines of the purported MacBook Air and MacBook Pro with OLED displays have been predicted by Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF Securities. While the Pro model could arrive later this year, the Air model is not expected to be launched for a few years.

MacBook Air, MacBook Pro With OLED Displays Launch Timeline (Expected)

In a blog post, Kuo writes that the Cupertino-based tech giant will launch the updated MacBook Air series with an OLED display around 2028 or 2029. Additionally, the analyst reiterated his earlier forecast that the MacBook Pro lineup with an OLED touchscreen will be launched globally in either the fourth quarter of 2026 (Q4FY26) or by the first quarter of 2027 (Q1FY27).

This is in line with earlier reports, which suggested a similar launch timeline for the two MacBook models. On March 1, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman wrote in his 'Power On' newsletter that the tech giant aims to launch a MacBook Air model with an OLED panel in 2028, which is years away. Similarly, another report recently highlighted that Apple will unveil a MacBook Pro model with an OLED touchscreen in the fall of this year.

While the company has yet to reveal any plans for these two laptops, various leaks have already surfaced online, hinting at what one could expect. The MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen is expected to be powered by the unreleased Apple Silicon M6 processor.

Apple's rumoured MacBook Pro model with an OLED touchscreen is expected to sport Apple's Dynamic Island feature, which might replace the notch from the centre-top of the screen. However, the laptop might retain the design of its predecessor, while also featuring a similar-looking backlit keyboard and trackpad. Moreover, Samsung is expected to supply the OLED touch panels for Apple's flagship laptops.