Apple planning 13-inch OLED MacBook Air release by 2024, analyst says

Apple is looking "increasingly likely" to debut a 13-inch MacBook model with an OLED display in 2024, according to a display analyst with a solid track record.

The tidbit comes from analyst Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants. In a tweet to his Super Followers on Thursday seen by AppleInsider, Young said that Apple will launch a 13.3-inch OLED notebook in addition to an 11-inch iPad Pro and 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Young adds that the device is expected to be a MacBook Air, but could potentially be a "MacBook, MacBook Pro, or new category."

"It is looking increasingly likely that Apple will launch a 13.3 OLED notebook in 2024 in addition to the 11[-inch] OLED and 12.9[-inch] iPad Pros," Young wrote on Twitter. "It is expected to be a MacBook Air, but could potentially become a MacBook, MacBook Pro or new category."

He added that the new OLED devices will use a new display technique called "tandem stack," which could reduce power consumption by as much as 30%, increase brightness, and improve the display's overall lifespan.

Young added that all of the devices will adopt low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) and a ProMotion variable refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz. While current iPad Pro models have ProMotion, they bottom out at 24Hz. Apple's MacBook Air doesn't have ProMotion.

Apple is currently in the midst of moving its Mac and iPad lineups to LCD-based displays with mini LED backlighting. OLED displays, which are already present on its iPhones, would offer some benefits on top of mini LEDs, including improved contrast ratios and increased power efficiency.

The Cupertino tech giant has reportedly had plans to adopt OLED displays on its MacBook lineup by 2025, but a report from 2021 suggested that a launch had been pushed back. Young's information, if it's accurate, counters that rumor.