Apple Reportedly Pushes OLED MacBook Air Release by Another Year - CNET

The model isn't expected now until 2028.

The OLED MacBook Air was originally expected to launch in 2027.

Fresh on the heels of reports that Apple may be delaying the launch of a redesigned MacBook, its rumored OLED MacBook Air could be pushed back now, too.

A new report from Korea-based The Elec, citing component industry sources, said Apple won't add an OLED screen to its MacBook Air line until 2028. An OLED MacBook Air was originally rumored to launch in 2027.

The postponement reflects mounting production costs and concerns over pricing, as Apple considers how premium display technology could affect the price of the computer and if it would deter people from making a purchase, the report noted.

The company did not respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this year, Apple debuted an OLED iPad Pro, which starts at $999, but sales have dropped off since launch. About 10 million iPad Pro models were expected to ship in 2024. That number has since dropped to 6 to 7 million.

Apple is also reportedly working on a completely redesigned MacBook Pro, but it likely won't be released until 2026. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in his Power On newsletter, Apple originally targeted 2025 for the major redesign but encountered delays related to the new display technology. Apple's 2025 lineup is expected to feature the same design and mini-LED screen as its predecessors.

At the same time, rumors continue to heat up that Apple is considering a lower-budget version of its $3,500 Vision Pro mixed-reality headset that would shift the computing power to the iPhone. But it appears there could be delays there, too. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a tweet on Sunday that the production of a lower-cost Vision model appears to be "delayed beyond 2027." It appears, however, the delay is less about the components.

"I think what really drove Apple to delay the cheaper Vision Pro is that simply reducing the price wouldn't help create successful use cases," Kuo wrote. "It's similar to the HomePod situation -- even after launching the cheaper HomePod mini, Apple's smart speakers failed to become mainstream products."