According to The Elec, Samsung Display is developing a 13.3-inch OLED panel for future MacBook Air models, and plans to gradually convert multiple Apple product lines to OLED.
In addition to the Macbook, LG Display is also developing OLED screens for the next-generation 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro, but lacked sufficient capacity to produce the OLED panels needed for the MacBook Air, which led Apple to eventually choose Samsung.
Samsung Display is also reportedly planning to develop an 11-inch OLED panel for next year’s iPad, suggesting that Samsung Display may be able to grab some orders for the 11-inch “iPad Pro” from LG Display.
According to current developments, Apple is preparing to launch new OLED versions of the iPad Pro, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models.
The Elec is not sure when the OLED MacBook Air will be released, but they think it could take about two years. Display industry analyst Ross Young previously said he expects the “MacBook Air” with OLED panels to launch in 2024.
It is said that Apple initially wanted Samsung to provide a 10.86-inch OLED panel for the iPad Air, which would have been its first OLED iPad, but Apple eventually cancelled the project due to the cost and production capacity of single-layer OLEDs, as well as the need to take into account the differentiation between the iPad Air and iPad Pro. Apple is now said to have moved to a more reliable dual-layer OLED panel, which is expected to debut on the “iPad Pro” next year.
The report points out that Samsung’s project to develop a 13.3-inch OLED panel for the MacBook Air is actually a test for the mass production of OLED panels for future MacBook Pro models.
Ming-Chi Kuo also said that Samsung Display plans to significantly boost OLED panel shipments for laptops in 2023, aiming for a 70% YoY (year-over-year) increase to 6-7 million units in 2023.
Ming-Chi Kuo explained why Apple chose the MacBook Air over the MacBook Pro. Laptops with OLED offer the advantage of being thinner and lighter than mini-LED, and offer more diverse form factor options,” he said.
Thinness is far more important to MacBook Air than it is to MacBook Pro. This allows Apple to focus on upgrading the display technology in the MacBook Air before choosing to upgrade the MacBook Pro.
