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The MacBook Air and iMac are next in line for Apple’s OLED push

OLED MacBook Air could arrive in 2028, while the iMac remains further out

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MacBook Air M5
MacBook Air M5 Moinak Pal/Digital Trends

Previous reports have indicated that Apple plans to launch redesigned MacBook Pros between the end of this year and early next year featuring touchscreen OLED displays, but the brand’s OLED ambitions for its Macs won’t end there.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman now reports that Apple is also working on OLED versions of the MacBook Air and iMac, corroborating earlier supply-chain reports about both devices. The information comes from people familiar with Apple’s plans, although neither product appears close to release.

The OLED MacBook Air could arrive in 2028

Bloomberg says Apple is developing an OLED MacBook Air for as early as 2028. The timeline broadly aligns with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s previous estimate of 2028 or 2029.

Before that happens, Apple reportedly plans to refresh the current 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models by early next year. Those machines, code-named J913 and J915, are expected to closely resemble the existing design, suggesting the OLED transition will be part of a later and more substantial upgrade.

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The gap between the OLED MacBook Pro and MacBook Air is hardly surprising. OLED panels remain expensive, and keeping the Air relatively affordable gives Apple less room to absorb the additional cost. Rising memory costs only complicate matters for the company, which recently raised prices across its Mac lineup, including the MacBook Air.

The OLED iMac remains further out

Bloomberg also says Apple is working on an iMac with an OLED display, but does not provide a launch window. The wording suggests it sits further down the roadmap than the OLED MacBook Air.

Previous reports have pointed to development wrapping up around 2027 or 2028, with Apple reportedly evaluating 24-inch panels from Samsung Display and LG Display. TrendForce has separately claimed that future OLED iMac panels could cover 95% of the BT.2020 color gamut.

For now, Apple is preparing conventional iMac updates for this fall. Bloomberg says development of those models is complete, but the OLED version appears to be a separate project that remains several years away.

Sudhanshu Kumar Mangalam
I’ve got about 4 years of experience, mostly covering gaming, PC hardware, and smartphones. In my free time, I like…
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