Apple is preparing a major display upgrade for the iMac, as the company moves closer to bringing OLED technology to its desktop lineup with higher brightness and improved panel efficiency. The report points to a future 24-inch iMac that keeps the same size and pixel density but pushes visual quality forward with brighter output and advanced panel structures.
ZDNet Korea reports that Apple has asked display partners to begin producing OLED panel samples for a future iMac model.
Apple has requested 24-inch OLED panels with 600 nits of brightness and around 218 pixels per inch, which directly improves on the current iMac’s 500 nits LCD panel while maintaining the same sharpness level. This change signals a clear focus on better contrast, deeper blacks, and more vivid colors without altering the familiar display size.
Samsung and LG race to meet Apple’s requirements
Samsung Display is expected to move first, with plans to produce around 220 PPI OLED samples using its Quantum Dot OLED production lines and ship them to Apple in the second half of 2026. This step matters because Samsung currently mass-produces 160 PPI panels, so increasing density while maintaining brightness reflects a technical shift in its large-format OLED production.
LG Display is also preparing its response, though its approach differs in both structure and timeline. The company is working on a new 5-stack W-OLED design that adds an extra green layer to improve brightness, but this technology is still under development and has not reached mass production yet.
“We are preparing various technologies (to respond to IT OLEDs) as well as this technology. We will make an announcement later depending on the situation when the (IT OLED) market becomes the condition we desire.”
— Jeong Cheol-dong, President of LG Display
LG is also developing its eLEAP production method, which removes the need for fine metal masks and aims to improve efficiency in OLED manufacturing, although this process is still not ready for large-scale deployment.
OLED iMac still years away
Apple is reportedly targeting a launch window between 2029 and 2030, which shows the company is taking a long-term approach while suppliers refine brightness, pixel density, and manufacturing methods. This timeline also aligns with Apple’s broader transition toward OLED across its product lineup.
In the meantime, the iMac remains on a more immediate upgrade cycle, with the next refresh expected to bring the M5 chip following the M4 update in October 2024, while the OLED model continues to develop in the background.
