According to South Korean outlet The Elec, sources say Samsung Display will begin mass production of 14-inch and 16-inch OLED panels for Apple’s MacBook Pro in late Q2 2026, with annual output projected at 2–3 million units. The report notes that this will mark Apple’s first OLED MacBook, expected to debut as early as Q4 2026.

The report also highlights that Samsung Display is set to be the exclusive supplier of panels for Apple’s first OLED MacBook. To prepare for volume production, the company will reportedly begin pilot runs at its IT 8th-generation OLED line (A6) by the end of 2025, with mass production of related components slated for Q1 2026, the report adds.

Aside from Apple, Samsung Display is in talks with several firms to secure customers for its OLED IT panels, sources say. To raise utilization, the company is aiming to supply them to leading notebook makers including Dell, HP, and Lenovo.

In April 2023, Samsung Display announced plans to invest 4.1 trillion won in its IT 8th-generation OLED line through 2026. Starting in 2026, the company expects the IT OLED business to generate around 20% of its overall revenue, as noted by the report.

OLED MacBook Air Pushed Beyond 2029
The report notes that, Apple has delayed the planned launch of an OLED MacBook Air from around 2027 to sometime after 2029. Apple had originally intended to introduce the OLED MacBook Pro in 2026 and follow with the MacBook Air in 2027, but that timeline has shifted. Instead, in 2027 the company is expected to release a MacBook Air that continues to use an LCD panel, though its thin-film transistor (TFT) technology will move from amorphous silicon (a-Si) to oxide. As the report points out, oxide TFTs offer higher electron mobility than a-Si TFTs.

Although Apple released its first OLED iPad last year, shipments fell short of expectations, and this year’s OLED iPad shipment forecast also remains weak. At present, OLED penetration in the IT product market is only around 2–3%, as the report points out.

(Photo credit: Apple)