Apple MacBook with OLED screen could land sooner than expected

Apple MacBook Air 13 laptop.

Quick Summary

Apple is rumoured to be adding OLED screens to its MacBook line starting as soon as next year.

Currently MacBooks used mini-LED panels but are expected to appear with OLED screens similar to the iPad range at the end of 2026.

Apple could reveal a new MacBook with OLED screen soon, and now a fresh report has supported that possibility. This would be the first MacBook laptop that Apple has released with a full OLED screen.

Even the best MacBooks currently come with mini-LED displays, while it is the iPad range which sports OLED panels. This updated model would mean a screen with better power efficiency, greater colour range, deeper dynamic range and faster refresh rates.

What does the latest information tell us about the new MacBook?

Apple is rumoured to add a new budget range to its MacBook line-up, with chips from the M-Series found in the iPhone 16 Pro. But presumably at the other end of the range it could introduce this more premium screen toting MacBook Pro option.

This new OLED could mean a far higher quality picture for professionals using the screen for video or photo editing. It could also mean a near instant refresh rate that is ideal for gaming.

MacBook (Image credit: Future)

The latest rumour comes from sources of Bloomberg which say this updated OLED MacBook Pro should arrive in late 2026 or early 2027.

While the same report refers to updated MacBook Air models due also, it is less clear if these will get the OLED upgrade right away or not.

(Image credit: Future)

The new MacBook Pro range is expected to launch with a new M5 chip as well as that new display that comes in a new case design.

OLED, or organic light-emitting diode, technology is now used in iPads, iPhones and the Apple Watch. So this move to include it across its screen based range makes sense.

While it's one of the best display technologies in terms of performance quality and minimal battery drain, it can be expensive to manufacture, so Apple's slow move to roll this out across devices has made sense.

There are also rumours that Apple will include a 5G modem making these laptops always connected, even when away from WiFi.