Apple plans to launch MacBook Air with OLED display, but not anytime soon
A new report suggests that Apple is planning to launch a MacBook Air with an OLED screen in 2029. The decision is likely due to slower than expected sales of the iPad Pro, launched in 2024, which features an OLED screen.
listen to the story
Last year, Apple finally introduced an OLED display—Ultra XDR Retina Display—in iPad Pro models. With this, the next Apple device expected to get OLED display is the MacBook. While MacBook Pro models are said to get OLED displays by 2026, Apple is reportedly planning to wait a few more years to bring OLED to MacBook Air models. A new report from Korean publication The Elec says that Apple has moved up the launch date of the first MacBook Air with an OLED display from 2027 to around 2029.
Apple is reportedly planning to delay the launch of the OLED MacBook Air after expected sales projections for the OLED iPad Pro received a lukewarm response. There were earlier reports that along with the OLED MacBook Pro in 2026, we could see OLED screens in the MacBook Air by 2027. However, now this new report suggests that with the iPad Pro’s sales performance, Apple may be reconsidering its plans to offer premium OLED. The fairly budget-friendly MacBook Air appears in the lineup.
While the introduction of OLED displays will certainly bring better display experiences with better brightness, deeper blacks and increased battery efficiency, this display technology is expensive and has a significant impact on the overall production cost. Therefore, Apple may be putting its plans for OLED on hold for affordable MacBook Air models to suit both production costs and sales performance.
Although it may be a while before OLED displays come to the MacBook Air, Apple is considering upgrading the existing LCD display. According to reports, Apple is planning to introduce “oxide TFT” technology in its 2027 MacBook Air. This new technology will allow future MacBook Air models to offer better durability, better visuals, and higher contrast than current LCD displays.
MacBook Pro with OLED will be on track for next year
While the news of MacBook Air not having OLED for the next two years may disappoint Apple users, it is being said that Apple will soon bring OLED displays to MacBook Pro models. According to multiple reports, including Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models launching in 2026 may feature OLED displays. In fact Gurman suggests that the 2026 MacBook Pro will be a “true overhaul” to Apple’s MacBook Pro. These reports are also supported by predictions from Apple analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Ross Young, who previously said that Apple will phase out mini-LED displays in MacBook Pro models after the 2025 lineup.
Additionally, OLED technology will allow Apple to make MacBooks even thinner. For example, the OLED iPad Pro, introduced in 2024, became Apple’s thinnest device that year. Similar design changes are expected with the MacBook after adopting OLED technology. For the 2025 MacBook Pro, Apple may offer some upgrades including better performance with the new M5 chip.
MacBook Air with M4 to launch in 2025
As for the upcoming MacBook Air, this year Apple is reportedly planning to update its 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the new M4 chip in the coming months. These new MacBook Air models will continue to rely on LCD technology, but are expected to offer better performance and efficiency while keeping the devices powerful and competitive in their segment.
