Apple’s OLED Ambition: Slimmer, Brighter MacBook Pros in 2026?

Rumor has it that Apple intends to transition its entire product line to OLED technology, though this will be a gradual process spanning several years. With the release of the new iPad Pro models equipped with the M4 chip this year, more Apple products are expected to feature OLED screens in the future.

According to Wccftech, Apple plans to integrate OLED screens into MacBook Pro models, possibly as early as 2026. With the incorporation of new OLED screens, future MacBook Pros will become even slimmer due to the self-emissive nature of OLEDs, which do not require a backlight. This is an outcome Apple eagerly anticipates.

Recently, a market research firm indicated that from 2023 to 2031, the demand for OLED display panels in laptops will continue to grow, with an estimated compound annual growth rate of 37%. If Apple accelerates its plan to adopt OLED screens for MacBook Pros, it will inevitably trigger a significant increase in the demand for OLED display panels in the laptop market, with projected shipments expected to exceed 60 million units by 2031.

OLED technology offers advantages in response time and contrast ratio but comes with higher manufacturing costs. Typically, it would first be introduced to high-end MacBook Pro models. Notably, this year’s new iPad Pro models feature screens based on double-layer tandem OLED technology, which combines light from two OLED panels to provide ultra-high brightness and extreme dynamic range, perfectly rendering both SDR and HDR content. If MacBook Pro models adopt OLED screens, they will also face cost challenges that require substantial market demand to justify.

Should Apple decide to adopt OLED screens on a large scale and find it profitable, OLED panel suppliers like Samsung and LG might consider establishing new production lines dedicated to manufacturing the panels required for MacBook Pro models.