It's been a big day for Apple display technology, with the news earlier today of a MicroLED Apple Watch set to drop next year. That report suggested Apple's ten-year research project into the use of MicroLED technology could finally be market-ready, starting with the smaller displays found on the Apple Watch before graduating to the iPhone.
It's a change that would reduce Apple's dependence on third-party manufacturers. Currently, Apple sources display technology from a host of companies, including Samsung, LG and BOE. But moving away from reliance on third-parties is part of Apple's long-term plan, as we saw when they moved to their M-series and A-series processors.
But it's also a change that wont happen overnight, it would seem, as respected technology tipster, Ming-Chi Kuo, expects to see an OLED MacBook released in the same year. That would appear to line up with the MicroLED report, which suggests that the in-house displays will progress from the smallest screen to the largest over time.
So what would an OLED display mean for the MacBook? Firstly, it would allow for the iconic true blacks that OLED panels are famous for. That could be a massive benefit for anyone who edits photos or videos, offering a more accurate colour palette. It would also make watching movies on the laptop much more engaging.
Aside from the picture quality, OLED panels can be much thinner than their counterparts. This allows for innovative technologies, like folding screens, but can also help to make devices as slim as possible. MacBook's are far from the chunkiest devices on the market, but making one even slimmer would be a real selling point – particularly for the MacBook Air, which has historically been positioned as the ultimate portable laptop.
I can see the 2024 release being just that – an ultra-slim Air with an OLED display. And if it is, I'll be first in the queue for one.
