Apple's First MacBook Pro OLED Will Be Released In 2026, Design Is Thiner

Apple's first MacBook Pro OLED is expected to be released in 2026 (photo; x @Germanium129853 ·)

JAKARTA - Apple's first MacBook Pro OLED is expected to be released in 2026, with a new, thinner design, according to a recent report from The Elec.

Samsung Display is reportedly producing test samples of OLED panels using their first deposition engine installed in November 2024. However, industrial projections estimate only about 3 to 5 million OLED panels to be sent annually to the MacBook Pro. Given that the supplier's 8th generation OLED IT line is designed to produce 10 million units per year (based on a 14.3-inch OLED panel), companies need to look for additional customers to maximize their production efficiency.

Previous rumors also claimed that the MacBook Pro will switch to OLED screen technology in 2026. This upcoming MacBook Pro will use hybrid OLED technology, similar to that used in Apple's latest iPad Pro. This screen technology combines glass substrates with thin layer encapsulation, providing better luminosity, contrast, and power efficiency compared to today's MacBook Pro models that use mini-LED screens.

Samsung Display has reportedly invested around $3 billion in their IT 8th generation OLED production line for laptop-sized panels. Chinese screenmaker BOE is also developing manufacturing capabilities for hybrid OLED panels, although its production lines are more versatile, capable of producing both hybrid and flexible OLED screens.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and screen industry analyst Ross Young recently predicted that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros will stick to mini-LED screens by 2025. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman revealed that he expects only a slight performance improvement for the 2025 MacBook Pro model, with the already near completion M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips.

Gurman previously reported that Apple was working to make the MacBook Pro OLED much thinner, as part of the company's plans to create "the thinst and lightest products in their category across the tech industry." In fact, the reporter said it was likely that the MacBook Pro 2026 model would be a "true overhaul" for the laptop, thanks to a combination of OLED screens and thinner designs.