It could be a long while before we get an OLED MacBook Air

By Willow Roberts Published January 21, 2025

The MacBook Air on a table in front of a window. — Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Everyone is waiting for Apple to bring OLED displays to MacBooks, and we’re expecting an OLED MacBook Pro in the next couple of years. The MacBook Air, however, may remain OLED-less even in 2027, according to a new tip from Korean outlet The Elec.

Instead, it seems Apple has begun developing a different kind of screen upgrade for the 2027 Air — an oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD). The inferior screen is often people’s biggest complaint about the MacBook Air series, so any improvement will likely be welcome, but it’s definitely a shame that OLED still seems to be out of reach.

Recommended Videos

One of the MacBook Air’s main features is its affordability, and it appears that OLED technology remains too expensive at the moment to incorporate it into the Air without introducing a price hike.

Raising the price may have been considered an option at one point but after the poor sales of the expensive OLED iPad Pro, Apple seems convinced that its customers aren’t happy to pay more just for a better screen.

If the 2027 MacBook Air’s TFT LCD display is really nice, perhaps Apple’s compromise will work out fine — but there’s a chance that a portion of the Air’s audience will remain disappointed with the lesser quality.

In this case, it feels like we have a bit of a problem. The Pro lineup is just a little too big and fancy for some people, but the Air lineup is just a little too budget. In other words, maybe we need a new type of product to cater to those stuck in the middle.

Imagine an Air-style MacBook whose specs aren’t restricted by a predetermined price point but only by its other defining features. Basically, they could give it a nice display and fill it with the best stuff they can while keeping the fan-less, lightweight design.

You’d probably end up with a “MacBook Air Pro” type product for people who love the Air’s portability and design but are willing to pay for better specs. I would be one of those people — I’m a MacBook Air owner with pretty much zero interest in MacBook Pros, and I know I would switch to this middle-ground product if it existed. I want a better screen!

As much sense as it makes to me, however, there’s no sign that such a product is on the horizon so let’s hope this TFT LCD display looks real good — or that the price of OLED falls dramatically over the next couple of years.

Computing Writer

Willow Roberts has been a Computing Writer at Digital Trends for a year and has been writing for about a decade. She has a…

Topics

Computing

iPad is the best secondary screen I’ve used with a MacBook

You can extend your MacBook's screen by using an iPad as a secondary monitor.

I spend an unhealthy amount of time lurking in communities where people share aesthetic desktop setups. One of my friends recently set the group chat on fire with a triple monitor setup that had two vertical screens and an ultrawide curved panel at the center. An impulse swipe later, I achieved a similar makeover for my desk at home.

Here’s the problem, though. My $600 workstation overhaul did bring me visual joy, but not much utility. For reporting assignments, I spend the majority of the year away from home, working from deserted cafes or unnaturally uncomfortable bunk beds. I do miss the convenience of large secondary screens. Interestingly, that yearning is addressed by a rather unconventional device —the humble iPad.

Computing

I love Apple’s minimalist Mac design, and the iPhone 17 Air needs to follow it

Apple Mac Studio 2025 top down view showing desktop.

It’s no secret that Apple’s products are among the best designed devices in the tech industry. Just one peek at the MacBook Pro or the iPhone 16 Pro and you know that you’re looking at quality.

There’s a reason for that, and it’s got nothing to do with blind luck. No, Apple’s design philosophy has long been to strip away the unnecessary elements of a device until you’re left with only the essential components. There should be nothing extraneous, no needless fluff. Instead, the product should be the core expression of a concept, such as a phone or a computer. That has led to some of its best designs.

Computing

The long overdue MacBook Pro design refresh might land in 2026

MacBook Pro

Apple likes to stick around with each product design refresh for at least a few generations. Take for example the M4 MacBook Pro, which is still carrying the same design language that was first introduced atop the M1 series models back in 2021.
Things could finally change next year. “In terms of major new Mac designs, I don’t expect the MacBook Pro to get an overhaul until around 2026 — when the M6 model is due to come out,” says a Bloomberg report.
Apple is currently working on refreshed MacBook Air and Pro models with M5-series processors. They might, however, stick with the same aesthetic formula as their respective M4-series counterparts. It’s not bad, but not without its flaws either.

“It’s no joke to lug around. Some will appreciate the extra screen real estate, no doubt, but there’s definitely a trade-off in mobility,” said Digital Trends’ review of the current-gen MacBook Pro.
“The one eyesore in the whole experience to me is still the notch in the display. I find it quite ugly and intrusive, and the way it cuts into the menu bar can be clumsy, especially on the 14-inch model,” the review adds.