Future iPad Pro and MacBook Pro Models Rumored to Feature Ultra-Bright Double-Stack OLED Displays

Apple is in discussions with Samsung and LG over applying OLED displays with a two-stack tandem structure to future iPad and MacBook models, but the devices are likely several years away from launch, according to Korean website The Elec.

Oled iPads and MackBook Pro Notch
The report indicates that a two-stack tandem structure would consist of two layers of red, green, and blue emission layers, allowing for the future iPad and MacBook models to have significantly brighter displays with up to double the luminance. Apple's current OLED devices like the iPhone have a single-stack structure, the report adds.

Given that OLED technology is expensive, it's likely the displays will be used on future iPad Pro and MacBook Pro models specifically. The report claims the future iPads will come in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, which are indeed the current iPad Pro sizes.

The report claims the two-stack iPad displays will also be low-power LTPO panels, which could allow for a wider ProMotion refresh rate range between 10Hz and 120Hz, in line with the iPhone 13 Pro models. iPad Pro models have already supported ProMotion since 2017, but with a refresh rate between 24Hz and 120Hz.

Timing remains a big question mark. While some earlier reports claimed the first iPad with an OLED display was slated for release in 2022, today's report claims the timeframe has been pushed back to late 2023 or 2024. The first MacBook with an OLED display might follow in 2025, but this plan could be postponed further, the report adds.

In the meantime, Apple has adopted mini-LED backlighting, starting with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Mini-LED technology offers increased brightness for HDR content and improved contrast ratio.

Update: A separate report from Nikkei Asia today claims that Apple is also actively researching and developing micro-LED display technology.

In the long term, industry insiders expect the rise of even smaller micro-LEDs that measure under 100 microns and can express primary colors without the use of a filter.

Apple has made an acquisition in micro-LEDs and is said to have an active development program in this field.

Related Roundups: iPad Pro, MacBook Pro
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

iPhone Foldable Display Said to Feature iPad-Style 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Friday March 28, 2025 3:44 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming "iPhone Fold" will feature a foldable screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, according to a Chinese leaker who previously leaked the book-style device's display dimensions. The Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station claims that Apple will adopt a "roughly" 4:3 aspect ratio on the inner display in order to achieve consistency between the outer display, as well as to ensure parity...

Top Rated Comments

DMG35 Avatar
45 months ago
I'm ready to trade in my M1 Max for the $400 Apple will provide me with the trade.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sniffies Avatar
45 months ago
Oh no, my MBP M1 Max 64 already feels outdated




/s
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
45 months ago
After reading “OLED” in the title, my eyes glazed over.
When will this era of PWM flickering hell end?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Falhófnir Avatar
45 months ago
Are the displays not already bright enough at 1,000 nits?


Burn-in-gate?

?
Blindedgate
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Techwatcher Avatar
45 months ago
Just remember folks, something better is always around the corner. So if what's out now looks good to you just get it if it's future proofed enough. If you wait around for this then the next day a news story titled "Micro-LED MacBook Pro M5 Ultra is currently in the works" and it never ends lol.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CWallace Avatar
45 months ago
The Elec is a media outlet whose job is to promote the Korean semiconductor industry so this "article" could be nothing more than an attempt to showcase Samsung and LG OLED production by "claiming" Apple is considering it, so your company should, too!

They have been posting articles linking Apple with OLED for iPads and Macs for some time: https://www.macrumors.com/guide/the-elec/
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)