No MacBook OLED for you! Why you might have to wait 3 years

Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup won’t see OLED panels anytime soon according to Ross Young, CEO of display research firm Supply Chain Consultants. The industry prognosticator shared with Bloomberg Intelligence’s Woo Jin Ho that Apple is still a few years away, and its supply chain partners have yet to build out the manufacturing to achieve mass production of laptop-specific OLED panels (via MacRumors). 

Apple currently uses mini LED panels in its current MacBook Pro models, which are solid displays. However, there are many benefits to using OLED panels, and it could push MacBooks into even more rarified air (no not Air, we are just talking about the Pro models for now).

Do MacBook Pros need OLED?

MacBooks are the undefeated champions of battery life. However, mini LED panels are less power efficient than OLED panels. A MacBook Pro with an OLED panel could push closer to a true 24 hours of battery life or more likely push for a brighter display with higher contrast for deeper blacks, while still lasting 14-18 hours like the current models. 

Unless you love delayed gratification, the one bright spot in Young’s claims is that the next-generation iPad Pros should arrive with OLED panels sometime in 2024. Sadly, according to Young, iPad Air and iPad mini won’t see OLED until around the same time as the MacBook Pros in 2026. We can only hope Young is wrong, but he has a history of being a reliable and accurate source of Apple display supply chain information.

I like working on the current mini LED panels on the MacBook Pro, but after having used OLED panels on Windows laptops, there’s no question which looks superior. Especially when you consider content creators, which is one of the prime targets for MacBook Pro marketing. A superior display that also gets us better battery life? I can’t wait to pre-order…in 3 years.