TrendForce Jibang Consulting: OLED notebook shipments are expected to increase by nearly 40% year on year in 2026 and increase by more than 40% in 2027

The Zhitong Finance App learned that according to TrendForce Jibang Consulting's latest display industry research, the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display released by Apple (AAPL.US) introduced a serial OLED touch screen for the first time, marking an important shift in MacBook display technology and operating experience. TrendForce Jibang Consulting estimates that the shipment volume of this new model will be between 1.2 million and 1.5 million units in 2027. Apple's entry into the OLED notebook market has also encouraged panel manufacturers to accelerate the development of related display technology.

According to TrendForce Jibang Consulting's analysis, since the starting price of the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display reached 2,899 US dollars (14 inches), and the initial dual-track sales with existing mini-LED models, it is expected that overlapping high price positioning with the product will limit short-term conversion capacity. However, the new model further strengthens the technical image and premium positioning of Apple's high-end products. With the entry-level MacBook Neo, it adopts a different price strategy than before, reflecting the gradual coverage of Apple products in a wider price range.

As far as the OLED notebook market is concerned, the main players in the past were Windows brands such as Lenovo (Lenovo), HP (HP), and ASUS (Asus), and the product layout has gradually been extended to different price points. The addition of Apple is expected to encourage brands to prioritize OLED models, increase consumer acceptance of OLED notebooks, and create space for expanding the application of panel technology. TrendForce Jibang Consulting estimates that even if the overall notebook market has declined in the past two years, total OLED notebook shipments are expected to increase by nearly 40% per year in 2026, and will grow by more than 40% in 2027.

SDC is temporarily the exclusive panel supplier, and competitors mainly lock in the MacBook Air OLED supply chain

Currently, the MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display panels are exclusively supplied by Samsung Display (SDC, Samsung Display), and the company has planned Phase 1 of the G8.6 A6 production line in Asan Park in South Korea as an Apple dedicated line. As the first model to be mass-produced on its G8.6 FMM OLED production line, and used as Apple's first and highest-end flagship OLED notebook, it is indicative for SDC to announce its leading position in the OLED market.

TrendForce Jibang Consulting said that since the new MacBook Pro uses a Tandem OLED stack architecture and has 254 pixels per inch (PPI), the high specification requirements are a huge challenge to the material costs and yield of upstream panel manufacturers. Therefore, even if other panel manufacturers have verification projects in progress, the cost structure is too high. In addition, SDC has obtained the status of the first supplier. Other OLED panel manufacturers such as LG Display, BOE (BOE), and TCL CSOT (TCL Huaxing) currently have the main goal of entering the MacBook Air OLED supply chain. This model is expected to be released in 2029.