Big changes for Apple’s upcoming MacBook and iPad
Samsung and LG will begin manufacturing OLED displays for a number of Apple devices in the coming months, including for upcoming models of the iPad Mini and MacBook Pro.
It will be the first time the two device ranges received OLED displays, as they both currently carry Liquid Retina displays.
This is according to a Korean-language report from ETNews citing industry sources. The report detailed that OLED display production will begin next month for a slate of Apple devices.
OLED panels will be manufactured by Samsung for the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and the iPad Mini, which will receive OLED for the first time in the series’ history.
The month after that, Samsung will begin production of OLED displays for the MacBook Pro, expected to see the light of day in the next generation of the premium laptop range.
According to Bloomberg’s Apple analyst Mark Gurman, the upcoming MacBook Pro will feature a touchscreen OLED display, supported by a more touch-friendly MacOS update.
LG will exclusively manufacture the OLED displays for the Apple Watch 12 series. These devices feature an Always-on LTPO OLED retina display with a peak brightness of up to 2,000 nits.
Samsung and LG, Korea’s two largest display manufacturers, will reportedly be responsible for manufacturing the entire supply of OLEDs for all Apple products slated to launch in the second half of 2026.
Previously, Apple had contracted Chinese firm BOE to manufacture OLED panels for the iPhone 17 Pro. However, BOE had not started manufacturing for the iPhone 17 range.
The iPad Mini and MacBook Pro are the latest Apple products to switch to OLED displays, moving away from Liquid Retina displays.
Apple is reportedly South Korea’s largest customer in the display industry, accounting for 45.6% of total sales in 2025.
Apple announces worldwide price increases
On Thursday, Apple announced it was seeking to offset cost increases caused by the ongoing memory chip crisis by raising prices for Macs, iPads, home devices, and the Vision Pro.
This included increases to the price of its MacBook Neo, its latest laptop, which was marketed as a more affordable model.
The starting price for the MacBook Neo rose from $599 to $699, while the MacBook Air rose from $1,099 to $1,299.
Meanwhile, the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro is moving from $1,699 to $1,999, while the 16-inch model is now priced at $2,999, up from $2,499.
The iMac desktop now starts at $1,499, up from $1,299, while the Mac Studio has increased to $2,499 from $1,999.
“The rapid expansion of AI data centres has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage,” an Apple spokesperson said about the hikes.
“We have shielded our customers from these increases so far, but we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices on a number of products.”
They added that Apple has never seen a component price increase as significant and rapid as the latest memory crunch, which led to Thursday’s increases for iPad and Mac.
Apple said the price hikes were global; however, it did not raise prices on its iPhone, Apple Watch, or AirPod models. However, further price hikes may occur in the coming months and years.
Company executives said on an April earnings call that the memory shortage would worsen over the course of the year.
“We’re not at the point where we’re saying this is going to end anytime soon,” said Tim Cook, Apple CEO. He added that the constraints would likely last several more months.
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