Rumors often make predictions about individual Apple products moving from LED to the more advanced OLED screen technology: the iPad Pro and MacBook Air, for example, are both expected to get the upgrade in 2024. But a new report goes one step further, indicating that by 2027, almost all of the company’s devices will have OLED screens.
The forecast comes from research firm Omdia and was highlighted last week by Display Daily’s Bob Raikes. Omdia believes that shipments of OLED screens in the IT market will increase from 9.7 million units in 2022 to more than 70 million in 2028, and that this growth will be catalyzed by Apple’s widespread adoption: in the iPad Pro in 2024, MacBooks in 2026, and finally in iMacs in 2027. The company predicts that by 2026, Cupertino will completely phase out the use of LED and mini-LED in its mobile devices.
While we’ve heard about OLED iPads and MacBooks before, the OLED iMac is a new rumor – and an exciting one. Specifically, Omdia claims that Apple is working on two new models: a 32-inch and a 42-inch model. According to the report, the 32-inch LED screen model will appear later this year before being replaced by an OLED model in 2027. And in 2027, no less than 42-inch OLED model will debut.
These are very big calls indeed: this not only asks the reader to believe that Apple will move from one display technology to another in existing form factors, but that entirely new form factors are on the way and can be predicted based on the display market analysis. Apple currently sells a 32-inch ProMotion XDR display, but has never offered a screen as large as 42 inches. It is also possible that these new screen sizes actually refer to standalone displays.
The switch to OLED is a logical one, given the advantages of OLED over standard LCD/LED (deeper blacks and more contrast, wider viewing angles, lower power consumption and thinner bezels) and the fact that Apple has already switched to OLED in the Apple Watch and iPhone. But matters are complicated by the use of mini-LED technology in the current 12.9-inch iPad Pro and high-end MacBook Pro models, which has its own advantages. It’s not clear that switching these devices to OLED would offer any significant benefit beyond simplicity, but the report insists it will.
It’s probably best to keep in mind that these types of reports are not foolproof, as they are based on market trends rather than internal leaks, and any multi-year forecast is subject to change. Apple is likely working on a general switch from LED to OLED, but the details could turn out to be more complicated than such predictions tend to assume.
