The OLED MacBook Pro is reportedly coming, but you'll be waiting a while — here’s why

MacBook Pro 14-inch 2023
(Image credit: Future)

The one big dream feature users are clamoring for in the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros is an OLED display. Well, I’ve got good news and bad news.

According to Ross Young, CEO of research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants, the good news is that OLED MacBook Pros are indeed in the works. But speaking at a display webinar with Bloomberg's Woo Jin Ho, he revealed that the bad news is we are still at least three years away from these products launching.

What’s the hold up?

MacBook Pro 16-inch 2021

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

With OLED laptops all over the place, why is Apple taking so long to make the jump from LCD? According to Young, it comes down to the supply chain.

It looks set to take a few years for Apple’s partners to build out the capability to mass produce laptop-sized OLED displays, so that’s why the rumors point to a proper rollout of these new panels by 2027 at the latest.

However, you won’t be waiting that long for a big screen OLED product from Apple, as Young reiterated the rumor that next year’s iPad Pro will pack this upgraded panel — giving us a decent tease of the possibilities of an OLED MacBook.

Why OLED?

It comes down to three things: brightness, contrast, and power efficiency. With a Micro-lens array panel, brightness could be increased to somewhere around 2,100 nits, thanks to billions of tiny convex lenses reducing the amount of internal reflections.

OLED technology is also able to produce far deeper blacks for a vastly higher contrast ratio, which comes down to OLED diodes not requiring a backlight, whereas LCD as a technology does. Plus, removing the need for a backlight will improve power efficiency and lengthen battery life nicely.

The benefits are clear on paper — same as the risks associated with OLED are, such as OLED burn-in. But (a lot of) time will tell to see the material benefits of this display tech in future MacBook Pro models.

More from Tom's Guide

TOPICS
Jason England
Managing Editor — Computing

Jason brings a decade of tech and gaming journalism experience to his role as a Managing Editor of Computing at Tom's Guide. He has previously written for Laptop Mag, Tom's Hardware, Kotaku, Stuff and BBC Science Focus. In his spare time, you'll find Jason looking for good dogs to pet or thinking about eating pizza if he isn't already.

Read more
MacBook Air M3
Don’t expect a MacBook Air OLED any time soon — here’s what we’ve heard
MacBook Air M3
Apple's MacBook Air OLED may be delayed until 2029 — thanks to the iPad Pro M4!
Apple Studio Display shown side on with Wheel of Time playing
Apple's next Studio Display tipped to arrive in 2026 — and it'll be brighter than ever
Mac Studio on a desk plugged into a Studio Display
Apple's Studio Display may be getting a welcome Mini LED upgrade
Mac Studio on desk plugged into Studio Display
Apple reportedly working on two new Studio Display monitors — here's what I want to see
MacBook Pro 14-inch M3
MacBook Pro M5 — all the rumors we’ve heard so far
Latest in MacBooks
MacBook Air M4 vs MacBook Pro M4
MacBook Air M4 vs MacBook Pro M4 — I'll help you pick the best MacBook for your needs
Foldable MacBook concept
Apple's 18-inch foldable just tipped to run macOS — yup, the world's first touchscreen Mac
MacBook Air vs Pro - Apple Silicon
MacBook Air 15-inch M4 vs MacBook Pro 14-inch M4: Which is right for you?
MacBook Air M3 15-inch in hand with Tom's Guide Lowest Price badge
I wanted the M4 MacBook Air, but this near-maxed out MacBook Air M3 for $300 off just changed my mind
MacBook Air M3 15-inch in hand with Tom's Guide Lowest Price badge
Hurry! MacBook Air M3 just crashed to lowest price ever on Amazon
MacBook Air 15-inch M4
I used Apple's 15-inch M4 MacBook Air for a week — it's like last year's model, but with an extra shot of espresso
Latest in News
AirPods Max in various colors
AirPods Max is getting a big update with lossless audio and ultra-low latency — here's how it works
A mosquito resting on a plant
Experts predict a spring surge in these 9 pest populations — here's what's forecast for your area
Apple Watch SE (2022) shown on wrist
Apple Watch SE 3 reportedly in ’serious jeopardy’ — here’s why
Galaxy S25 Plus held in the hand.
Samsung could delay One UI 7’s release in the US — here’s what we know
Claude AI on phone sitting on keyboard
Claude 3.7 Sonnet now supports real-time web searching — but there's a catch
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order date just tipped — here's when you might be able to buy