The wait for a MacBook Air with an OLED display might take longer than initially expected.


Korean website The Elec yesterday cited an industry source who said the first MacBook Air with an OLED display will likely be released around 2029, instead of by 2027 as originally planned. The report said Apple made this decision as a result of lower-than-expected sales of the first iPad Pro models with OLED displays, which launched last year.

Essentially, the report claims that since OLED displays did not help to boost iPad Pro sales as much as Apple anticipated, the company has decided to delay bringing the expensive technology to the MacBook Air. However, it is unclear if there are any other reasons for the apparent delay that are not mentioned in the report.

While the MacBook Air will apparently stick with LCD technology for the next four years, the report claims that Apple plans to use "oxide TFT" technology for 2027 models. This upgrade would allow for improved color accuracy, higher contrast ratio, more uniform display brightness, and lower power consumption for longer battery life. So, while no OLED, the MacBook Air should still receive meaningful display improvements in two years from now.

MacBook Pro models with OLED displays are still expected to launch next year.

In the meantime, Apple will likely announce updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M4 chip within the next month or two.
This article, "MacBook Air With OLED Display Reportedly Delayed" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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There is a good chance that Apple's first product announcement of 2025 will be updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M4 chip.


Last month, Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.2, and in doing so it accidentally confirmed new MacBook Air models are coming this year (unsurprisingly).

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the new MacBook Air models will be announced "earlier" than some other devices rumored to launch this spring, such as a new iPhone SE and iPad 11. He has repeatedly said the new MacBook Air models are already in production, so a release as early as January or February rather than March or April seems possible.

Below, we recap rumors about the next MacBook Air models.

The new MacBook Air models are expected to be equipped with Apple's already-released M4 chip, which has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU.

Apple already updated the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini with M4 chips in late October. Geekbench 6 results showed that the M4 chip is up to 25% faster than the M3 chip in terms of multi-core CPU performance.

Apple recently increased the minimum RAM included in all MacBook Air models from 8GB to 16GB.

Following in the footsteps of the MacBook Pro, the next MacBook Air models will likely have an upgraded 12-megapixel camera with support for Center Stage, a feature that automatically keeps you centered on video as you move around. The camera should also support Desk View, which shows both you and an overhead view of your desk.

Center Stage is available in video calling apps like FaceTime and Zoom. The feature was previously limited to newer iPad models and Macs connected to Apple's external Studio Display. The new MacBook Pro and iMac models were the first Macs to support Center Stage without needing to rely on a Studio Display.

The new MacBook Air models will likely be equipped with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, whereas the current models have two Thunderbolt 3 ports. And the new models will likely support up to two external displays, even when the lid is open.

The latest MacBook Pro and iMac models can be configured with a nano-texture display, which has a special coating that better scatters light to further minimize glare on the screen. It is possible that Apple will extend this option to the new MacBook Air models, but it might opt to keep the option exclusive to the MacBook Pro for differentiation.

No major external design changes have been rumored for the next MacBook Air models. Apple last redesigned the MacBook Air in 2022.
This article, "MacBook Air Likely Apple's First Product Update of 2025: What to Expect" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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