Skip to main content

Apple could be working on a secret OLED MacBook Air

Apple could be planning a new MacBook Air equipped with an OLED display, according to Korean tech website TheElec. Interestingly, there are suggestions that the MacBook Air could get this high-end tech before Apple’s flagship MacBook Pro models.

Right now, none of Apple’s MacBook laptops come with OLED panels, and instead use Liquid Retina displays based on LCD technology. That could all change if TheElec’s claims are accurate, however.

The screen of the MacBook Air M2.
M2 MacBook Air Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

The report states that LG Display is currently developing OLED panels for Apple’s 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablets, but that the company does not have the production capacity to develop “additional models,” such as those that could be used in a laptop screen.

As such, Apple has asked archrival Samsung to pick up the slack. That’s not as unusual as it sounds — Samsung currently makes huge numbers of OLED panels for the iPhone 14 range, for instance.

However, there could be a hitch — or several, in fact. For one thing, TheElec says there is no current release date for the OLED MacBook Air, so it could be quite some time before it launches.

The report also says it’s unclear whether the OLED MacBook Air will even release in the first place. It’s possible that Apple is simply testing whether Samsung has the capabilities and quality to produce the number of panels it will need. TheElec has also suggested the MacBook Air panels could be a dry run for a future OLED MacBook Pro.

Launching in 2024?

Apple CEO Tim Cook looks at a display of brand new redesigned MacBook Air laptop during the WWDC22
Getty Images / Getty Images

Still, there are other hints that an OLED MacBook could be just around the corner. Display industry expert Ross Young has claimed that the first OLED MacBook will surface in 2024, and that it will be a MacBook Air — just as the report from TheElec claims.

That’s been backed up by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who also said an OLED MacBook Air could arrive in 2024. Kuo explained in January that OLED panels allow laptops to be thinner, lighter, and have better battery life. OLED displays also permit “more diverse form factor design options,” according to Kuo, including those used in Apple’s rumored folding laptop.

With all of these reports seemingly agreeing that Apple is working on OLED laptops, it might not be long before we see the fruits of the company’s labor. Apple’s MacBooks are already known for their superb displays, and the addition of OLED tech could help them leapfrog the competition.

Editors' Recommendations

Alex Blake
In ancient times, people like Alex would have been shunned for their nerdy ways and strange opinions on cheese. Today, he…
A major era in MacBook history is finally over
A MacBook Pro 13-inch on a table.

We're living in a golden age for MacBooks.

The MacBook Airs are faster, thinner, and more accessible laptops than ever, while the Pro models have the best display, speakers, keyboard, trackpad, and battery life of any competitive laptop. They're on their A game.

Read more
Here’s why people are raising concerns about the M3 Pro MacBook Pro
The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip seen from behind.

I published my review of the M3 Max MacBook Pro earlier this week, and suffice it to say, I was pretty impressed. I'm fond of the Space Black color, and the GPU performance in particular blew me away.

But one configuration of the new MacBook Pro went a bit more under the radar -- the M3 Pro model. Apple wasn't keen on sending this exact unit out to reviewers, instead leading with its much stronger foot, the M3 Max. And while the M3 Max and Pro were a bit closer in performance in the M2 generation, this time around, it seems as if there's more of a disparity.

Read more
A new iMac Pro could still launch. Here’s what I want from it
An Apple iMac Pro in a dark room flanked by two monitors, one on either side of it.

A week ago, a shocking report emerged: Apple apparently had no plans for a larger iMac, potentially meaning the iMac Pro was dead and buried. However, opposition voices soon emerged, and the consensus now seems to be that Apple has only ruled out the 27-inch iMac, not the idea of a larger all-in-one entirely.

In fact, just yesterday, Bloomberg Mark Gurman reiterated his previous claims that a larger iMac is still in the works. That’s an exciting rumor because I’ve felt for years that the iMac isn’t quite living up to its potential. If a larger, more powerful version really is still in development, it could be a seriously impressive device. Here’s everything I want to see from it.
More raw power

Read more