Coming on the heels of a report that seemed to confirm a lack of an OLED MacBook Pro before 2026, yet another report throws a wrench at expectations.
It seems that Samsung will start mass-producing the 8th-generation OLED screens in the first half of 2026, according to a report from UBI Research (via BGR). UBI stated that “Samsung Display decided to invest in the 8th generation OLED line for IT products early this year,” which includes laptops, tablets, and monitors.
Back in 2021, Samsung had been in talks with Apple about developing the OLED screen for the latter’s MacBooks. Initially, this model would have launched in 2025 but even then had been postponed, with later reports confirming it. The UBI report follows that after the $3.1 billion investment in said tech, the South Korean manufacturer ordered equipment and is planning on producing it with the OLED MacBook Pro.
And even if Samsung delivers on 8th-gen OLED screens by early 2026, Apple will still have the final say on release dates for the OLED MacBook Pros, meaning those could launch in the second half of 2026 or even as late as 2027. This is supported by an earlier report from Korean tech site The Elec, which stated that we won’t be seeing the first OLED MacBook for up to four years from 2023.
Apparently, both LG Display and BOE are also planning to develop 8th-generation OLED screens but still need to secure investment funds and customers first.
Even more bad news
There could be another factor in Apple fans not only enduring a massive delay in OLED MacBook Pros but not seeing one at all. Declining sales.
According to a May 2023 report from The Elec, Apple's revenue declined in Q2 2023 compared to 2022, and with 8th-gen OLED tech requiring larger substrates, which neither Samsung nor LG has developed yet, the costs for these new OLED panels might be a big issue for Apple.
The Korean companies are “undecided how much Apple will pay” for these panels, so until Apple officially announces anything about the OLED MacBook Pro, we wouldn’t bother holding our collective breath. Chances are we’ll see an OLED MacBook Air much sooner anyway.
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