Apple netbook coming with OLED screen?

Apple prepping an OLED screen for its netbook?
Apple prepping an OLED screen for its netbook?

In another twist to the Apple netbook story, reports are coming in that Apple is in talks with Sony to license its OLED technology for the screen.

Sources at Smarthouse in Australia have claimed 'inside sources' have let slip that talks between the two companies have taken place, with a view to releasing a 10-inch OLED netbook for Christmas this year.

The same source also states that the change of heart from Apple over a 'Macbook mini' is because the company has improved its touch software and has finally been able to patent the features it wants in a small notebook.

It is also rumoured that Apple wants to pair Flash memory with the OLED screen, thus leaving it with a low-battery consuming model, albeit one that would likely come with an exorbitant price tag.

Apple's vision

Which leads very neatly to the part-painted vision of what Apple's 'netbook' would look like. Thanks to Asus' efforts at bringing the cost of these devices down to peanuts, everyone is expecting that smaller laptop should cost less.

But given that Apple's model has never been to look at a market segment and compete on cost (think the iPod, iMacs, the iPhone etc) instead focusing on high-end features in a 'must-have' frame, it seems likely that should Apple release a pretty expensive 'netbook' .

But it will likely be hewn out of a single tablet of crystal, thinner than a human hair and able to make huge use of multi-touch capabilities. And what's more, you know everyone out there will want it, even if it does cost over £1,000.

Via Smarthouse

Gareth Beavis
Formerly Global Editor in Chief

Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.