What Display Daily thinks: Remember back when Apple started to tout retinal displays? I remember how every developer in the company I was running at the time had decided that they absolutely had to have a new MacBook Pro because of the new displays. So, what happens when even Apple can’t convince its rabid fanbase that OLED displays are worth the extra cost?
Is HP, Lenovo, or Dell going to do any better? That’s a red flag for IT OLED panel sales right there.
The other is this notion, however technically popular, that stacking OLEDs makes sense from a business perspective. But stacking OLEDs will, over time, start to arch towards single-stack OLED prices, which will probably remain around the price points that they are today? See how that works? The price/performance return on OLED doesn’t change, and it’s still too high. But, hey, stack more OLEDs and get more out of your OLEDs. Hmmm.
Maybe you have to rethink your anticipation of IT products and their contribution to the bottom of line. At least when it comes to OLED.
Apple’s OLED MacBook Air Delayed Due to High Costs and Supply Chain Issues
The Elec is reporting that Apple’s planned release of an OLED MacBook Air is being delayed due to high costs and supply chain issues. Switching from LCD to OLED screens increases production costs and consumer prices, but may not offer enough additional value to justify the expense—evidenced by lower-than-expected sales of the OLED iPad Pro.
Originally, Apple intended to launch an OLED MacBook Pro in 2026 and an OLED MacBook Air around 2027. However, the MacBook Air’s release is likely postponed because the higher price point may not appeal to consumers, and there are limited OLED suppliers, mainly LG Display and Samsung Display. This lack of competition keeps component prices high.
Apple aims to minimize manufacturing cost increases for the MacBook Air, a lower-end model that relies on high sales volumes at affordable prices. Industry experts suggest that Apple and panel suppliers need to find a compromise, as rapidly developing cost-reducing technologies is challenging. Enhancing OLED performance in lower-end models could boost overall OLED adoption in the IT market.
The MacBook Air is expected to use a hybrid OLED with a single-stack emitting layer, while the MacBook Pro will use a more advanced two-stack tandem OLED. Samsung Display is poised to be the main supplier for the MacBook Pro OLED panels, investing significantly to increase production capacity. LG Display is also developing panels but faces production limitations.
The OLED iPad Pro was considered a test case for OLED adoption in IT products. Its weaker-than-expected sales indicate challenges in increasing OLED’s market penetration, which currently stands at only 1-2% in a global IT market shipping around 500 to 600 million units annually.
