Counterpoint Research forecasts that OLED notebook display shipments will rise 50 per cent in 2026, driven largely by Apple’s expected switch to OLED in the next-generation MacBook Pro. The forecast, published on 8 October, puts MiniLED notebook shipments down 38 per cent this year.
The wider notebook display market is set to contract by 3 per cent in 2026, which Counterpoint blames on memory cost inflation and higher system bills of materials, but the premium combination of OLED and MiniLED is predicted to grow by 11 per cent. Counterpoint expects OLED shipments to rise another 24 per cent in 2027 while MiniLED falls a further 60 per cent, and forecasts OLED notebook panel shipments to grow at a 26 per cent compound annual rate from 2024 to 2030.
“OLED notebook PC growth will increasingly depend on translating advances in panel performance and manufacturing into compelling products at competitive prices,” said David Naranjo, an associate director at Counterpoint.
Details from MacRumors give a fuller picture. Samsung Display is the reported sole provider of the next-generation OLED panels, fabricated on the company’s 8.6-generation line in Asan, South Korea. The new machines are expected to be much lighter than their predecessors and to swap the display notch for a Dynamic Island. Apple plans to sell OLED and MiniLED MacBook Pros side by side at first, withdrawing the MiniLED versions later. Starting prices are said to be up to $500 higher than current MiniLED models.
Apple has confirmed its ‘Pro and tell’ event for 28 October, where a redesigned MacBook Pro is widely expected to debut. The company has not confirmed any of the display, design or pricing details reported by MacRumors, nor has it publicly acknowledged a move to OLED for the MacBook Pro, which has used MiniLED since 2021.