Apple is moving closer to a major shift in its MacBook display technology as its key display partner prepares for large scale OLED panel production. This development points to the launch of Apple’s first OLED MacBook later this year, alongside an expected refresh of its MacBook Pro lineup with new high performance chips.
Samsung Display is set to begin mass production on its new A6 OLED line in May. This will be the world’s first 8th generation OLED manufacturing line designed for IT products. The new facility will produce OLED panels for Apple’s upcoming 14 inch and 16 inch MacBook models, which are expected to arrive in the fourth quarter. The company aims to ship around 2 million panels by the end of the year. Some module components are still being finalised as Apple continues design adjustments to reduce costs and complete reliability testing.
To ensure supply stability, Samsung Display is prioritising front end panel production before moving fully into module assembly. OLED panel shipments to Foxconn, which assembles MacBooks for Apple, are expected to begin in the third quarter. Samsung Display has committed an investment of 4.1 trillion won into its 8th generation IT OLED business by 2026. The company plans to scale annual output to 10 million panels and eventually raise IT OLEDs to 20% of total sales. It is also working to bring in other laptop brands such as Dell, HP and Lenovo to improve factory utilisation, even as BOE speeds up similar efforts in China.
At the same time, signs suggest Apple is close to launching new MacBook Pro models powered by the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Retailers have reported very limited stock of current MacBook Pro models, a pattern that has previously appeared just before new launches. Software activity has also added to the speculation, with reports pointing to a release alongside macOS Tahoe 26.3 in February or March. The appearance of the Xcode 26.3 release candidate without matching macOS or iOS versions has further raised expectations.
Apple has followed similar software and inventory patterns ahead of earlier Mac launches, including the M1, M2 and M3 generations. While the exact launch date is still unclear, industry watchers believe an announcement could happen within days or weeks as Apple aligns its software rollout and clears existing stock.
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