Apple’s MacBook Pro with an OLED display could be launched in the next few years, according to a report from Omdia that predicts a sharp increase in demand for these displays this decade. The company’s Pro line includes its most powerful Apple Silicon processors in years, but Apple has yet to launch a MacBook with an OLED display that offers significantly better image quality compared to an LCD screen, albeit at a higher price.
Technology research firm Omdia’s Display Long-Term Demand Forecast states that the rise of brands using OLED panels in their high-end laptops and tablets will drive display demand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37 percent between 2023 and 2031.
Apple MacBook Pro with OLED screen will debut in 2026
Meanwhile, Ricky Park, senior principal analyst at the research firm, says that Apple’s rumored MacBook Pro model with an OLED display is expected to be unveiled in two years. “Apple is very likely to incorporate OLED into its MacBook Pro models as early as 2026,” the analyst says, adding that demand for OLED panels is expected to rise to as many as 60 million units by 2031.
Omdia’s report also highlights how display component suppliers are already investing to take advantage of growing demand for OLED panels — and BOE (Jingdongfang) Samsung Display has invested in G8.6 OLED fabrication technology that could result in mass production by 2026 or 2027, while Visionox is also expected to build the same production capacity.
iPad Pro (2024) will drive demand for OLED tablets in 2024
A recent report states that Apple expects to ship over 9 million units of the recently unveiled iPad Pro (2024), the company’s first tablet to feature an OLED display. Anticipated demand for iPad Pro equipped with Ultra Retina XDR OLED is expected to drive tablet OLED demand up to three times higher in 2023, according to Omdia.
The research firm also predicts the rumored arrival of OLED screens on future iPad Air and iPad Mini models will not only convince competitors to equip more tablets with OLED screens, but will also cause demand for these panels to cross the 30 million unit mark by 2029.
