- The OLED MacBook Pro could arrive long before the end of 2026
- Apparently, mass production of the screens has already begun.
- The improved displays are rumored to also support touchscreens.
Rumors have long circulated that Apple will give its MacBook Pro line of laptops an OLED display upgrade in the not-too-distant future, and now it looks like the updated models could appear sooner than we thought.
According to well-known tipster Yeux1122 (via 9to5Mac), Samsung has begun mass production of its latest 8.6th generation OLED panels, and Apple’s OLED MacBook Pros are considered to be the first beneficiaries.
These panels weren’t expected to reach the mass production stage until the second quarter of 2026 (April, May, or June), so the laptops could appear sooner than expected sometime later this year.
Previous predictions pointed to a release window towards the end of 2026, but if the schedule can be brought forward, perhaps there is room for a reveal sometime around September or October. However, this is all pretty speculative for now.
Touchscreen capable too
In addition to incorporating OLED technology, which in theory offers a superior viewing experience to the LCD screens currently used in MacBooks, with deeper blacks and excellent contrast, these panels are also compatible with touch screens.
Your mileage may vary depending on whether a touchscreen MacBook is something you’re interested in or not. What we can certainly say is that it will blur the lines between MacBooks and iPads even more, if both can use touch input (and maybe the Apple Pencil).
However, if previous rumors are correct, only the top-tier MacBook Pros will get the OLED upgrade: those running the as-yet-unannounced M6 Pro and M6 Max chipsets. Less expensive options will apparently stick with current display technology.
Before the M6 revolution begins, we think there will still be room for the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros to be introduced, perhaps even this month or next, after the refreshed Apple M5 laptops launched last year.
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