Samsung will be at least one of the suppliers for future MacBook Pro and iPad Pro upgrades with OLED displays, according to a new report.
The South Korean company, which already supplies OLED screens for the iPhone, has reportedly provided Apple with sample panels ahead of big product refreshes — but there’s no word on when we’ll see them.
Apple was trying its best to distance itself from Samsung not so long ago. But it seems that when it comes to OLED displays, it doesn’t have a lot of other options.
Samsung is one of the only suppliers that can deliver high-quality panels in the numbers Apple would require. It has been an essential part of the iPhone supply chain since the arrival of the iPhone X.
Apple is bringing OLED to MacBook and iPad
Samsung may also be the primary (perhaps sole) supplier of OLED displays for MacBook Pro and iPad Pro, too, according to a report from South Korean website The Elec.
There’s no word on when these devices are expected — but we’ve previously heard Apple is working on big upgrades for both.
Reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently reported that Apple will launch “all-new” MacBook Pro units with 16- to 16.5-inch screens sometime this year. But he didn’t say they’d feature OLED panels.
Kuo has also predicted that two new iPad Pro models will enter production in either late 2019 or early 2020. It’s not yet clear if those are expected to be OLED options, either.
Don’t get too excited just yet
We know very little else about these upgrades at the moment. They will obviously come with faster processors and other upgraded features, but there’s been no word on what else they will bring.
The Elec doesn’t provide us with any further information, and according to MacRumors, it does not have a proven track record when it comes to Apple rumors.
With that said, it’s probably best to take this report with a pinch of salt for now.
We believe Kuo when he says the MacBook Pro will get a bigger screen this year. But we won’t bet our houses on them being OLED screens made by Samsung just yet.
