A new report says that Samsung has started developing the OLED panel that Apple will use to bring a major display upgrade to the 13-inch MacBook Air, likely next year or perhaps even further down the line.
The Elec reported Thursday (March 30) that Samsung Display "has begun developing OLED for the 13.3-inch Apple MacBook Air." Samsung Display is tackling the MacBook Air, while LG is currently developing OLED panels for future iPad Pro models.
The report also says that "Samsung Display is independently developing organic light emitting diode (OLED) for the 13.3-inch Apple MacBook Air. This product is a model that Apple is developing first to apply OLED to the MacBook Pro lineup following the iPad Pro lineup."
OLED everywhere
The Elec reiterates rumors that Apple plans to launch a new 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro in 2024, and that the MacBook Pro is destined for an OLED upgrade too. The report says "it is unclear" whether a MacBook Air with an OLED panel will actually be released, with Apple just testing the water at this stage.
An OLED upgrade to both the iPad and MacBook Air would herald a major leap in display performance in terms of brightness and color as well as longevity in Apple's displays. The company currently uses OLED panels in its best iPhones including the iPhone 14 Pro, and while this is expected to continue with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, the technology is not yet cost-effective enough to use in larger devices.
Before the OLED MacBook Air (should it ever arrive), Apple has plans to unveil a new M3 13-inch MacBook Air later this year, as well as a new 15-inch MacBook Air. It's possible either or both of these could debut at WWDC 2023, which Apple announced will take place from June 5.
