Apple's upcoming OLED MacBook Pro – aka "MacBook Ultra" – is expected to be the primary driver of a hybrid OLED laptop display market worth $4 billion this year, according to a new Omdia research report ($).
The report corroborates rumors that Apple's first OLED MacBook will use a hybrid OLED architecture combining oxide TFT (thin-film transistor) and tandem OLED layers. The combination is already used in Apple's iPad Pro models, and offers higher brightness, improved power efficiency, and longer lifespan compared with conventional single-stack OLED panels.
Samsung Display is said to be making the panels, and the supplier has invested heavily in an 8.6-generation OLED production line in South Korea. The line recently reached a key milestone for mass production.
It will be the first time the combination has been used for a laptop in the 14-inch and 16-inch range, and Apple's adoption is expected to pull the rest of the OLED laptop industry in the same direction. Omdia estimates that hybrid OLED panels will account for 12.6% of all OLED laptop shipments in 2026, rising dramatically to 89.5% by 2033.
Omdia says manufacturers are already exploring new patterning methods for large OLED panels. In addition to the established Fine Metal Mask (FMM) process, it says technologies such as inkjet printing (IJP) and fine photolithography mask (FPM) are being developed to improve production efficiency for larger screens.
Apple's first OLED MacBook Pro will also feature a touchscreen display, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The claim has been corroborated by Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who also says the laptops will have "thinner and lighter frames." Apple is apparently focusing on delivering the thinnest possible device without compromising on battery life or major new features. That might also mean a higher price point and a new "Ultra" tier for the laptop.
The redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are also expected to have a hole-punch camera at the top of the display, and it could potentially be housed in a pill-shaped cutout similar to the iPhone's Dynamic Island, rather than the notch MacBook Pro owners are accustomed to. Gurman says the machines will be powered by M6 chips and are being readied for a late 2026 or early 2027 launch. As things stand, the latter time frame is now looking more likely, owing to the global memory chip shortage.
