Apple’s next Studio monitor may use a QD-OLED panel

By Fionna Agomuoh Published November 10, 2022

Apple may be preparing to design upcoming products with OLED panels manufactured by Samsung, according to NotebookCheck (via The Elec).

Devices expected to get the panels range from iPads to MacBooks to foldable laptops, the latter of which the brand has not yet introduced, in addition to its Apple Studio Display.

Apple Pro Display XDR WWDC 2019 Hands On — Julian Chokkattu / Digital Trends

UBI Research analysts at a recent seminar in Seoul had the most details about the future Studio Display model, claiming that Samsung is currently developing 27-inch QD-OLED (Quantum Dot OLED) panels in its A5 manufacturing line. Samsung’s “main customer is expected to be Apple,” according to analysts.

Recommended Videos

The relationship would likely continue exclusively thereafter, giving Apple a big upper hand over its competitors.

Notably, there have been several suggestions about what display components the next Apple Studio monitor will use. Reports in October suggested that a 27-inch Apple mini-LED external display had been delayed until 2023 due to high-cost concerns. However, analysts expect the OLED Apple Studio display might release sometime in 2024.

If current reports are accurate, this would be Apple’s first monitor with an OLED screen. Prior monitors, including the original Studio Display and the Pro Display XDR use conventional IPS screen technology. We’ve seen QD-OLED monitors, of course, such as the Alienware 34 QD-OLED, but they’ve so far been limited to large, curved gaming monitors.

The reports conclude that Apple might collaborate with both Samsung and LG for its first OLED iPad in 2024, using panels made with a gen 8 substrate. These panels are typically larger and last longer than those used on smartphones, the publication added.

Lastly, Apple is expected to begin introducing MacBooks with these OLED panels in 2025. Analysts also claim Samsung and LG hope that their display sectors will have new OLED technologies perfected and commercialized by 2025, so they can benefit from implementing them into upcoming Apple devices.

Apple also has a future goal of introducing laptops with foldable display panels. Reports have suggested that Apple has a “foldable notebook” with a 20-inch display in its release pipeline for the 2026 or 2027 time frame.

Computing Writer

Fionna Agomuoh is a Computing Writer at Digital Trends. She covers a range of topics in the computing space, including…

Topics

Computing

Shopping for back-to-school? These are the budget laptops I’d actually recommend

From a $359 Chromebook to the cheapest way into macOS, these are the budget picks worth your money.

Computer, Electronics, Laptop

The back-to-school season often turns into a laptop, especially the budget ones that aren't too heavy on your wallet. Due to the ongoing memory crisis, most manufacturers have already bumped up their laptop prices, including Apple. However, that doesn't mean that I won't help you get a new machine. So, for this one, I spent time digging through spec sheets, customer ratings, and price tags, finding devices that don't just look cheap in an Amazon listing, but actually hold up.

From a flexible touchscreen Chromebook to the least expensive way into macOS, these six laptops balance price and performance well. I'd hand any one of them to a student heading back to campus this fall, depending on what they need and what their priorities are.

Computing

Asus’ latest Zenbook puts a seriously bright OLED screen inside an impossibly slim body

The Zenbook 14 Air is only 11mm thick but still packs a 77Wh battery

Computer, Electronics, Laptop

Asus has introduced a new AMD-powered version of the Zenbook 14 Air 2026, combining a bright OLED display and a large battery inside an 11mm-thick chassis. It weighs 1.19kg, keeping it firmly in ultraportable territory despite the 77Wh battery inside.

The Zenbook 14 Air 2026 itself is not entirely new. Asus launched an Intel configuration powered by the Core Ultra 9 386H in China back in January. The latest version switches to AMD’s Ryzen AI 7 H 445 and is priced at CNY 9,999, or around $1,477. (via Notebookcheck)

Computing

Before you blow your student budget, here’s the MacBook that actually suits your major

Confused by the MacBook lineup? I sorted it out so students don't have to

Computer, Electronics, Laptop

Apple’s MacBook lineup has become much broader in 2026. The MacBook Neo brings the entry price down considerably, the M5 MacBook Air remains the obvious all-rounder, and the MacBook Pro covers students whose coursework can push a laptop to its limits.

But with a wide range, choosing one becomes harder. Spending more can bring a better display, faster storage, additional ports, and considerably greater performance. However, plenty of students will never take advantage of those upgrades. So, I have narrowed the current lineup down to three models, each aimed at a distinct kind of buyer.