Apple could be working on a secret OLED MacBook Air

By Alex Blake Published April 1, 2023

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.

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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?

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.

Computing Writer

Alex Blake has been working with Digital Trends since 2019, where he spends most of his time writing about Mac computers…

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