As Apple is rumored to launch a 15-inch MacBook Air in the coming months, a new report claims an even bigger upgrade is in store for the 13-inch model.
According to Korea-based The Elec (translation), Apple has turned to Samsung Display as the manufacturer of the MacBook Air’s OLED display, which was previously rumored to release in late 2024. The Elec mentions a 13.3-inch screen in development, which is the size used in the 2020 M1 model. Apple switched to a larger 13.6-inch screen when it introduced the M2 model in 2022.
However, there may be a reason for that. The Elec reports that the screen has a “strong test character for mass production of OLED for the future MacBook Pro.” That could mean that the 13.3-inch model will never actually enter production.
Earlier rumors claimed that the MacBook Pro would be the first laptop to switch to OLED displays. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro currently use Apple’s XDR LED technology with HDR and high refresh rate ProMotion.
The Elec claims that Apple also tested a Samsung OLED panel for the 10.9-inch iPad Air before dropping the project in September 2021. The publication says Apple eventually dropped the project due to volume and cost concerns, but still plans to launch in 2024.
However, the two processes are different. The Elec reports that the iPad Pro’s OLED screen will use Samsung’s double-stack method that stacks two luminous layers on top of each other, while the MacBook Air’s screen uses a single-layer method.
Apple is rumored to launch a new 15-inch MacBook Air sometime this spring, but that model will likely use the same LCD technology as the 13.6-inch model.
