In 2027, MacBook Airs will boast improved displays, but not the top-of-the-line OLED displays, according to a new report.
The Elec on Monday reported that "Apple has begun development of [a] MacBook Air that sports [an] oxide thin-film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD)" in lieu of an OLED display.
This will be the first time Apple graces MacBook Air models with oxide TFT LCD displays, which will allow for better display performance than the existing amorphous silicon (a-Si) TFT LCD display.
In practice, this improved performance could show up as higher resolution, higher response time, and more efficient power usage.
As great as it is that MacBook Airs will get a higher-quality display in 2027, I can't shake the disappointment that it won't be an OLED display. My daily driver laptop has an OLED display, and the vibrant, true colors and deep, rich blacks are unmatched compared to my desktop LCD displays.
This isn't the first time reports have popped up regarding a delay for OLED MacBook Airs. In an earlier report, parts industry officials and industry insiders told The Elec the OLED MacBook Air had been delayed due to high prices and the supply chain, with one source specifically commenting that the launch of the OLED iPad Pro "revealed that applying OLED increases the product price, but changing the display (LCD → OLED) alone does not appeal to consumers."
In its newest report, The Elec doubles down on this idea that Apple doesn't seem to be rushing into adorning MacBooks with OLED displays because OLED iPads didn't sell as well as expected.
Display Supply Chain Consultants further backs up this theory with data that panel shipments dropped by 40% in the third quarter for Apple's 11-inch iPad Pro M4 and another predicted 30% drop in the fourth quarter. Then, the company outlined expectations for 13-inch model's panel shipments to drop by a whopping 90% in the fourth quarter.
Despite having the best displays ever produced for a tablet, demand for the iPad Pro slowed, and Apple doesn't want history to repeat itself with the MacBook Airs.
Nevertheless, the OLED MacBook Air rumors will continue, and we'll continue to hang on every word until we have one in-hand to test.
