A MacBook Air with an OLED display could launch in 2024.
According to The Elec (via MacRumors), Samsung Display is developing a 13.4-inch OLED panel for an upcoming model of the MacBook Air. Apple chose Samsung Display over LG Display since the latter is reportedly developing OLED displays for the next-gen 11- and 13-inch iPad Pro models and doesn’t have enough production capacity for the MacBook Air.
The Elec claims Apple wants to sequentially launch the new iPad Pro, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with OLED displays.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of a MacBook Air with an OLED panel. In June 2022, display analyst Ross Young said MacBooks and iPads could make the move to OLED screens in 2024. He made this claim again in December of last year.
According to Young, these OLED displays would use what he has coined a “tandem stack.” This novel technology stacks two red, green and blue (RGB) light-emission layers on top of each other for increased brightness and improved power consumption.
Other than the mini LED-equipped 12.9-inch iPad Pro, MacBook Pro 14-inch and MacBook Pro 16-inch models, most MacBooks and iPads have used LCD displays. The iPhone 13 family and the Apple Watch 7, with their smaller displays, use OLED already, so it's hardly surprising to see Apple want to adopt this tech for their larger products as well.
One interesting tidbit is that The Elec claims the development of a 13.4-inch OLED panel for the MacBook Air is supposedly a test for mass production of MacBook Pro models with OLED panels.
As always, it’s best to treat this report with a healthy dose of skepticism. But given Ross Young’s track record, we won’t be surprised if his claims come true.
If you're looking for a MacBook right now, the MacBook Air M2 (2022) is currently the best laptop we’ve tested. If you want to save some money, the MacBook Air M1 is still a great value, especially if you can get it at a discount.
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