Apple is undoubtedly working to upgrade the LCD in its MacBook Pro line with a beautiful OLED display. Rumors differ on exactly what that’ll happen though, and the wait stretches out years.
As someone who already uses another Apple computer with a large OLED, I have to say there’s no reason for Apple to hurry. MacBook Pro users really should not feel impatient.
OLED screens are brilliant
Traditional LCDs require backlights. OLEDs dump those because each pixel glows on its own… hence the name organic light-emitting diode.
Eliminating the need for a backlight is a significant benefit when a screen is used outdoors. The backlights have to compete against sunlight, and the sun has kind of an advantage in the fight — 1000 nits vs. 1.6 billion nits. That’s one of the reasons why iPhone and Apple Watch, both devices intended to be regularly used outside, were Apple’s first to get OLED screens.
But last spring OLED reached the iPad Pro. That’s my primary computer, and I have to say the screen looks amazing, indoors and outside.
Apple’s MacBook screens are already really damn good
So if OLED looks so spectacular, why am I not excited about a possible MacBook Pro with one? Because the screen in Apple’s premier notebook already looks amazing.
As I said, I use the iPad Pro from 2024 which includes an OLED display. I remember that fact maybe twice a month when I read something about OLED screens. Otherwise, I forget about it. And that happens because the new type of screen really didn’t make a change in my experience with the tablet.
The 2022 iPad Pro I used previously looked amazing, too. Switching to the 2024 model just wasn’t that big a deal. I did a side-by-side comparison of the screens when I reviewed the newer one and said, “There’s not much difference in good lighting conditions. Blacks are slightly blacker and whites are somewhat less yellow.”
That comparison is relevant to MacBook Pro users because the 2022 iPad Pro includes a mini-LED screen, just like the current MBP. This is sort of a stepping stone between traditional screens and OLED. It still requires backlights, but instead of a few large ones it has thousands of tiny LEDs behind the LCD. These can illuminate very specific areas of the display. The result is higher contrast, blacker blacks, improved brightness and better power efficiency than traditional backlights.
In short, mini-LED makes for a beautiful screen. There’s only a very small amount of room for OLED to improve on that. As noted, OLED looks brighter in direct sunlight, but if you’re like me, you’re almost always using your notebook in an office, not outside.
So when you read the rumors that an OLED MacBook Pro might be out in 2026, or if something comes along later to delay it, just relax. It’ll be a nice change, but nothing big. And if you need a new MBP now, don’t wait until 2026 just because you’re hoping for OLED. It won’t be worth the wait.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
