Apple’s move to OLED displays on the MacBook Pro has taken a clear step forward, as large-scale production of laptop-sized OLED panels has now begun.
Apple is expected to replace mini-LED with OLED on future MacBook Pro models, marking the biggest display change since mini-LED arrived in 2021.
Samsung Display has begun operating its new 8.6-generation OLED production line at its Asan campus in South Korea, Bloomberg and The Elec report.
Samsung Display built the 8.6G line specifically for laptops and tablets, using much larger glass sheets than smartphone OLED lines to improve efficiency and control manufacturing costs.
This production scale is considered essential for Apple to adopt OLED without significantly raising MacBook Pro prices above current mini-LED models.
The new production line focuses on rigid OLED panels with oxide TFT backplanes and tandem OLED structures, which offer higher brightness, better power efficiency, and longer lifespan for laptop use.
Industry reporting from The Elec indicates that panel production has moved beyond testing, suggesting Apple has completed key reliability checks.
The shift to OLED would also allow Apple to offer deeper contrast, faster response times, and more consistent brightness across the display compared with current mini-LED panels.
The OLED MacBook Pro is also expected to bring design changes beyond the display.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said the OLED models will support touch input, a claim later backed by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
Gurman has also reported that Apple is working on thinner and lighter MacBook Pro designs, while preserving battery life and performance.
Apple is also expected to replace the current notch on the redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch models with a smaller hole-punch or pill-shaped camera cutout.
Bloomberg reports that Apple is targeting a late-2026 or early-2027 launch for the first OLED MacBook Pro models, powered by the M6 chip family.
Ahead of that redesign, Apple is expected to release refreshed MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips later this year.
