Apple may introduce an all-new 13.8-inch OLED MacBook in 2029, positioned between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, according to an updated product roadmap from research firm Omdia.
OLED MacBook: specifications and supply questions
Omdia’s latest roadmap places a surprise 13.8-inch MacBook between the projected timelines for the Air and Pro lines. The model is said to use a single-stack hybrid OLED panel rather than the tandem OLED technology expected in upcoming OLED MacBook Pro models, which are projected to launch later this year or early next year.
A June report from ZDNet Korea said Apple approached Samsung Display, LG Display and BOE earlier this year for information on a 13.8-inch OLED MacBook panel; at the time, that inquiry was generally assumed to relate to work on a first OLED MacBook Air, not expected before 2028 at the earliest. In Omdia’s roadmap the OLED MacBook Air is absent and has been replaced by the 13.8-inch machine in a separate “new” product category.
The new model is expected to include an LTPO+ backplane, integrated touch sensing, an under-panel camera and a color filter integrated into the OLED encapsulation layer. Omdia says it is too early to determine which display manufacturer would supply panels for the device.
Omdia also suggests the 13.8-inch OLED MacBook could become an important mainstream MacBook product, positioned between the LCD MacBook Air and the higher-end OLED MacBook Pro. Meanwhile, the MacBook Air line is shown in the roadmap as continuing to use LCD displays into 2030.
Omdia cautions that its roadmap is based on current market expectations and could change according to OLED manufacturing capacity, component costs and Apple’s wider product strategy. This is the first report of a completely new MacBook line and the timeline is three years out, so the plans should be treated as tentative.
