Apple has reportedly revised its plans for adopting OLED displays across its MacBook lineup, and its existing LCD-based MacBook Pro models with mini-LED backlighting are now expected to remain available for longer than anticipated.


According to a new OLED adoption roadmap published by research firm Omdia, Apple still intends long-term adoption of OLED panels across MacBooks and iPads, but the transition pace has recently changed, owing to higher memory and component costs.

Previously, Omdia had expected Apple to discontinue its existing LCD-based models sooner, once its 14-inch and 16-inch OLED MacBook Pro models arrive – either this year or in early 2027.

However, Omdia now predicts that Apple will continue to sell both 14-inch and 16-inch LCD MacBook Pro models in parallel with the OLED MacBook Pro product line into at least 2028, a product strategy arrangement that is said to be based on cost factors.

Previous reports had already suggested Apple will position the OLED-based "MacBook Ultra" above the existing MacBook Pro models in its lineup, but there was little information about how long Apple would keep the latter models around for. Omdia's roadmap is the first to suggest they could remain available for another year at least.
This article, "Mini-LED MacBook Pro Models Could Stick Around Until 2028" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple may introduce an entirely new 13.8-inch OLED MacBook model in 2029, potentially creating a new product tier between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, according to an updated product roadmap from research firm Omdia.


The firm's latest roadmap sandwiches a new 13.8-inch MacBook between the projected time line for the Air and Pro models. The surprise model is said to use a single-stack hybrid OLED panel, rather than the more sophisticated tandem OLED technology that is expected in the upcoming OLED MacBook Pro models, which are set to launch either later this year or early next year.

It seems this prediction hasn't come out of nowhere, either. According to a June report from ZDNet Korea, Apple sounded out Samsung Display, LG Display, and BOE for information regarding a 13.8-inch OLED MacBook panel earlier this year. At the time, the general assumption was that it was likely to be part of Apple's work on the first OLED MacBook Air, expected by 2028 at the earliest.

However, looking at Omdia's latest roadmap, the OLED MacBook Air is conspicuously absent, having been replaced by the 13.8-inch OLED machine in a separate "new" product category. The new model is expected to incorporate an LTPO+ backplane, integrated touch sensing, an under-panel camera, and a color filter integrated into the OLED encapsulation layer.

Omdia believes it is still too early to know for sure which display manufacturer would supply panels for the device, but the firm believes that it could potentially become an important mainstream MacBook product, positioned between the LCD MacBook Air and the higher-end OLED MacBook Pro.

Meanwhile, the MacBook Air line is shown as continuing to use LCD displays right into 2030.


Of course, Apple's wholesale OLED adoption plans could change, and Omdia itself caveats that its roadmap is based on current market expectations. On that basis alone, it could be adjusted at any time according to OLED manufacturing capacity, component costs, and Apple's wider product strategy. Additionally, this is the first we've heard of a completely new MacBook line, and it's still three years out. So with all due caution, file this one under "wait and see."
This article, "Apple Reportedly Planning All-New MacBook Model Between Air and Pro" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Less than a week before Apple debuts new iPhone 18 Pro models, research firm TrendForce has estimated the prices of the devices based on the latest hardware cost environment.


TrendForce's price estimates compared to last year's models look like this:

Model	Starting Price	Model	Starting Price	Change
iPhone 17 Pro	$1,099	iPhone 18 Pro	$1,249-$1,299	+$150 to +$200
iPhone 17 Pro Max	$1,199	iPhone 18 Pro Max	$1,349-$1,399	+$150 to +$200

Apple is likely to raise iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max prices by around 10-20% compared to last year's Pro models, according to the firm. Taking TrendForce's June forecast of a 14-18% increase, which fits within its latest broader 10-20% range and translates more neatly to Apple's typical pricing scheme, we could see the iPhone 18 Pro starting price jump to between $1,249-$1,299 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max between $1,349-$1,399.

Meanwhile, TrendForce expects prices for Apple's first foldable iPhone (aka "iPhone Ultra") to start anywhere between $2,099-$2,299, with the highest storage option potentially exceeding $3,000.

The regular iPhone 18 model is not expected to debut until spring 2027. Nevertheless, TrendForce expects the same general 10-20% price increase to apply to that device as well.

The overriding reason for the price increases is memory costs. TrendForce says the cost of a 256GB memory chip has risen nearly 400% year-on-year, while its separate analysis puts the overall bill of materials (BOM) for a 256GB Pro model at around 38% more over the same period. That said, Apple is expected to absorb some of that increase via lower margins, rather than passing the full cost onto consumers.

Last year, Apple managed to avoid raising the price of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and only marginally raised the iPhone 17 Pro price in the U.S. year-on-year by $100. This year, however, the insatiable AI infrastructure buildout has made memory costs even more expensive, effectively holding the rest of the electronics industry to ransom. And things don't look like they're going to get any better anytime soon.

We will find out the real prices during Apple's "Surprise and shine" event on Wednesday, September 9.
This article, "iPhone 18 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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