Apple's upcoming OLED MacBook Pro – aka "MacBook Ultra" – is expected to be the primary driver of a hybrid OLED laptop display market worth $4 billion this year, according to a new Omdia research report ($).


The report corroborates rumors that Apple's first OLED MacBook will use a hybrid OLED architecture combining oxide TFT (thin-film transistor) and tandem OLED layers. The combination is already used in Apple's iPad Pro models, and offers higher brightness, improved power efficiency, and longer lifespan compared with conventional single-stack OLED panels.

Samsung Display is said to be making the panels, and the supplier has invested heavily in an 8.6-generation OLED production line in South Korea. The line recently reached a key milestone for mass production.

It will be the first time the combination has been used for a laptop in the 14-inch and 16-inch range, and Apple's adoption is expected to pull the rest of the OLED laptop industry in the same direction. Omdia estimates that hybrid OLED panels will account for 12.6% of all OLED laptop shipments in 2026, rising dramatically to 89.5% by 2033.

Omdia says manufacturers are already exploring new patterning methods for large OLED panels. In addition to the established Fine Metal Mask (FMM) process, it says technologies such as inkjet printing (IJP) and fine photolithography mask (FPM) are being developed to improve production efficiency for larger screens.


Apple's first OLED MacBook Pro will also feature a touchscreen display, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The claim has been corroborated by Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who also says the laptops will have "thinner and lighter frames." Apple is apparently focusing on delivering the thinnest possible device without compromising on battery life or major new features. That might also mean a higher price point and a new "Ultra" tier for the laptop.

• MacBook Ultra: 5 Features That Could Justify the Name

The redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are also expected to have a hole-punch camera at the top of the display, and it could potentially be housed in a pill-shaped cutout similar to the iPhone's Dynamic Island, rather than the notch MacBook Pro owners are accustomed to. Gurman says the machines will be powered by M6 chips and are being readied for a late 2026 or early 2027 launch. As things stand, the latter time frame is now looking more likely, owing to the global memory chip shortage.
This article, "'MacBook Ultra' May Drive Industry Shift to Hybrid OLED Laptop Displays" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

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Looking for NYT Connections answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, plus my commentary on the puzzles.

Looking for NYT Strands answers and hints? Here's all you need to know to solve today's game, including the spangram.

Looking for Quordle clues? We can help. Plus get the answers to Quordle today and past solutions.

Incoming Apple CEO John Ternus signed off on a major revision of Apple's Vision Pro and smart glasses plans, consolidating Apple's work in the category.


According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Ternus nixed plans for a second Vision Pro and a lighter Vision Air. Kuo says there are only two smart glasses products in development, including the AI smart glasses that Apple is creating to rival the Meta Ray-Bans and a display-equipped set of AR smart glasses.

"I think removing the Vision Pro line was the right call, as Apple shifts resources toward smart glasses with greater mass-market potential," writes Kuo. Kuo says that the Vision products roadmap that he shared in June 2025 is no longer a useful reference because of the major changes that Apple has made to its plans over the last year. Kuo's product timeline originally featured seven products, but now it features just two that are still relevant.

Kuo believes the AI smart glasses will ship in 2027, while the display-equipped augmented reality glasses with "optical waveguides" won't come out until 2029 at the earliest. Optical waveguides pair a micro-display with waveguides that guide the image to the user's eyes. Lenses remain transparent, so the virtual content looks like it's overlaid on the real world view.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman weighed in on Kuo's report and said the Vision Air was discontinued in October 2025, the display glasses meant to pair with a Mac were sunset in January 2025, and AI smart glasses will launch at the end of 2027.

While Kuo does not believe Apple is working on any version of a Vision Pro, Gurman claims Apple has a Vision Pro 2 "in testing" but the category is "on ice." Earlier this week, Gurman also said Apple is working on a cheaper, lighter Vision Pro, but the device is unlikely to launch before late 2028 or 2029.

John Ternus is set to take over as Apple's CEO on September 1, 2026. Current Apple CEO Tim Cook will remain on as Executive Chairman.
This article, "Kuo: Apple's Vision Pro Successors Off the Table as Focus Shifts to Smart Glasses" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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On an earnings call in late April, Apple's CEO Tim Cook said that customer response to the MacBook Neo was "off the charts," and the popularity of the laptop has reportedly led the company to significantly boost production.


Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo this week said he believes that MacBook Neo shipments to Apple were doubled from an initial target of 5 million units to 10 million units in 2026 at some point after the laptop launched in March.

Apple was very optimistic about the MacBook Neo before announcing it, but the company still "undercalled" the level of enthusiasm that the laptop would generate, according to Cook. He said that MacBook Neo demand exceeded Apple's expectations and helped to drive a record number of first-time Mac buyers last quarter.

New figures from market research firm IDC support Apple's claim that the MacBook Neo is selling well, and the Windows PC industry has taken notice. For example, Dell recently introduced a redesigned XPS 13 laptop from $699 and said it has features "you won't find on a MacBook Neo," such as a touch screen and a backlit keyboard.

"Apple's MacBook Neo is a capable machine, and its arrival confirms that there's real appetite for premium quality at accessible prices," admitted Dell.

With a starting price of $599 in the U.S., or $499 for college students, the MacBook Neo is Apple's most affordable MacBook ever. Powered by the iPhone's A18 Pro chip, the laptop is available in colorful finishes like Citrus and Blush.

A second-generation MacBook Neo is expected to be released next year with an A19 Pro chip and 12GB of RAM.
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The global memory shortage that has already squeezed Mac mini and Mac Studio supply is now set to weigh heavily on the broader PC market, with IDC forecasting an 11.3% decline in global shipments for 2026.


According to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker, conditions are expected to worsen progressively through the fourth quarter, when shipments are forecast to fall 20% year-over-year, with no meaningful relief expected before the end of 2027. Average selling prices are rising and PC manufacturers are struggling to maintain full product portfolios.

The first quarter of 2026 offered a deceptively encouraging signal, with shipments growing 3% versus the same period last year, but that strength was largely artificial; both consumer and commercial buyers pulled purchases forward ahead of anticipated price increases and availability constraints. Some of that first quarter momentum is carrying into the second quarter, but the remaining quarters are expected to deteriorate. IDC forecasts average selling price growth of 17% in 2026, and even as memory capacity expands over the next two years, pricing is unlikely to return to 2025 levels. TrendForce previously warned that surging memory and CPU costs could push mainstream laptop prices up by nearly 40% this year.

Against that backdrop, Apple's MacBook Neo has driven stronger-than-expected notebook demand and prompted IDC to revise its notebook forecast upward. Launched in March at $599, the ‌MacBook Neo‌ pairs the A18 Pro chip with 8GB of memory and targets the sub-$700 notebook segment. This market accounts for approximately 75 million units annually, nearly 40% of total notebook volume, which is a tier historically dominated by Windows and ChromeOS devices.

The ‌MacBook Neo‌'s competitive ripple effects cut both ways. IDC said the device is "putting real pressure on the entire PC ecosystem," and expects rivals to respond with new silicon, a more efficient OS from Microsoft, and aggressive promotional pricing. The competitive pressure from the ‌MacBook Neo‌ is providing a partial offset to broader price increases, keeping some low-cost notebook options alive, though the overall average selling price trajectory remains firmly upward.

While rising memory costs are pushing many PC vendors toward higher-priced systems or forcing specification cuts to defend lower price points, Apple has moved in the opposite direction. The memory shortage has had a more direct impact on Apple's higher-end Mac models, with ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌ models seeing configuration cuts and significant shipping delays as the company struggles to secure supply.
This article, "MacBook Neo Disrupts a PC Market in Decline, IDC Says" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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