OLED MacBook Air Delayed to 2029 According to a Recent Report

[GGforever]

MacBook Air aficionados, at least most of them, have been longing for an OLED-equipped variant for quite a while now. OLED displays, especially the tandem-style units that Apple ships with its iPad Pros, have undeniable advantages over tradition LCDs, such as a near-infinite contrast ratio, near-instant response times, and excellent color reproduction. The fear of panel burn-in does exist, although as OLED technology progresses, such fears continue to subside. That said, for those who are holding out for it, the grapevine indicates they will have to hold their horses for a while longer.

A recent report by The Elec has stated that the MacBook Air, which was previously expected to get the OLED treatment sometime in 2027, has now been delayed by another two years. As such, the MacBook Air is now not expected to boast an OLED display before 2029 at the earliest. The Elec claims that the primary cause behind the delay is the lackluster sales boost brought by the OLED upgrade to the iPad Pro lineup, which fell short of what Apple anticipated. That said, the MacBook Air will utilize "Oxide TFT" technology for its LCDs starting 2027, allowing for improved color accuracy, energy efficiency, and contrast. MacBook Pros have already utilized the technology since 2022, and are still expected to boast OLED panels by 2026.



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[Upgrayedd]

I don't own anything Apple nor am I interested.

But the reason behind why seems rather unreasonable? No laptop OLEDs because the pro tablet didn't do well? Does anybody actually expect tablets to still be a hot item? Thought we kinda got over those oversized things that don't do anything you're phone can't.
Unless maybe I've just been totally in the dark and tablets sell more than laptops year after year?

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

In the end, it doesn’t really matter what panel it has, so long as the user gets the desired picture. Underlying tech is great for us enthusiasts, but everyday consumers don’t care if their display is OLED or if it’s really tiny gnomes holding up red green or blue cards. The iPad display was already excellent, so it’s not like OLED was reason alone to upgrade.

 

[Philaphlous]

OLEDs still have quite a bit of drawbacks. Slow refresh rate...flicker...not as bright..burn in...longevity.
Sure they might have good color and great blacks but I think I'll stick to a screen that lasts more than 3+ years without burn-in.

Apple will figure out how to get rid of these drawbacks...just a matter of time

 

[rv8000]

Watchout, need that 345688ppi oled at 8k to scroll FB and Insta.

 

[Gmr_Chick]

I don't own anything Apple nor am I interested.

But the reason behind why seems rather unreasonable? No laptop OLEDs because the pro tablet didn't do well? Does anybody actually expect tablets to still be a hot item? Thought we kinda got over those oversized things that don't do anything you're phone can't.
Unless maybe I've just been totally in the dark and tablets sell more than laptops year after year?

I can see where you're coming from, but as a visually impaired person, I'd take my tablet over my phone anyday (I'm not counting my laptop because Win 10 scaling on it is doo-doo) simply because the 11" screen helps make things a little easier on my eyes vs. the 5-6" screen of my phone. But that's just me.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

Tablets may not be big exciting things anymore, but neither are laptops and PCs (or even smartphones). They have become household items, and people have gravitated to what works best. My wife uses her iPad Air 4 substantially more than the laptop she has. It's not even close. The Air she uses every single day, the laptop hardly ever. That said, she's not going to upgrade to something newer until her current model starts failing her.