Apple is "highly likely" to introduce new MacBook Pros featuring OLED displays in 2026, market research firm Omdia claims.
According to Omdia's long-term demand forecast display tracker, demand for OLED displays in mobile devices is expected to grow by 37% from 2023 to 2031. This significant growth reflects a major shift, with many technology companies, including Apple, increasingly integrating OLED panels into their high-end notebooks and tablets. Ricky Park, Senior Principal Analyst, Display Research, Omdia, said:
"Apple is highly likely to incorporate OLED into its MacBook Pro models as early as 2026. This move could spark a significant surge in OLED demand within the notebook market, potentially reaching over 60 million units by 2031."
OLED panels allow each pixel to be controlled individually, resulting in more accurate color reproduction and deeper blacks compared to other common display technologies. It also offers superior contrast, faster response times, better viewing angles, and greater design flexibility.
With Apple's move to equip the iPad Pro with its OLED display for the first time, demand for its OLED tablets is expected to triple in 2024 compared to last year. The company is expected to incorporate OLED display technology into most of its tablet lineup, including the iPad mini and iPad Air, a decision that will impact competitors' OLED adoption strategies, with tablet OLED demand expected to reach 30 million units by 2029. It is expected that this will increase further.
According to a report last week, Samsung has started development of a new 8-inch OLED display for the iPad mini. The same report predicted that Apple would update the iPad mini and iPad Air with its OLED technology in 2026. Last year, Samsung was rumored to invest $3.14 billion in a factory in Asan, South Korea, to produce OLED panels for the next 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with OLED displays.