Apple is expected to refresh its MacBook Pro models as early as 2026, with recent reports indicate that the MacBook Pro will feature an OLED display. Introducing an OLED display likely means a complete redesign of the product, as was the case with the OLED iPad Pro that launched in May. It was thinner but still packed a punch.
However, a new report by South Korean publication The Elec suggests that due to a major problem, the plans to release the MacBook Air with an OLED display might have hit a roadblock. Reportedly, pricing concerns and supply chain issues have put the plan on hold, and the OLED MacBook Air may not arrive in 2027.
Apple will have to incur high costs for switching from LCD to OLED, which would substantially increase the MacBook Air"s price. The price hike may not sit well with the customers, and the product may not be attractive to the customers for an upgrade, since the MacBook Air is considered Apple"s most popular MacBook model.
Additionally, the report highlighted the disappointing sales performance of the OLED iPad Pro. Notably, customers felt the price difference for the new iPad Pro, which resulted in Apple selling fewer units than expected. According to an industry insider, " The OLED iPad Pro, which was first released this year, revealed that applying OLED increases the product price, but changing the display (LCD → OLED) alone does not appeal to consumers."
This could be one indicator that merely offering an upgrade from LCD to OLED doesn"t offer customers enough to justify the price hike. If this is the case with the OLED MacBook Pro, then Apple may also delay the launch of the OLED iPad Air. It was recently rumored that the company was working on a 90Hz display for the iPad Air.
Apple is also rumored to be considering a foldable MacBook. However, given the challenges surrounding the OLED MacBook Pro model, a folding MacBook seems like a distant possibility.