Apple has updated its OLED transition roadmap, reflecting changes in demand and product strategies. The company’s OLED iPad Pro, launched last year with new technologies like tandem displays and hybrid OLED structure, achieved a 15% weight reduction and a 22% thickness reduction compared to existing Mini-LED models. However, its high price prevented it from becoming a hit product. Initially, Samsung Display and LG Display planned to produce over 9 million OLED panels for the 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro combined, but the final shipment volume was around 5.7 million units.
Apple has taken steps to minimize panel purchases due to a pessimistic outlook on iPad Pro demand for this year. The projected demand for OLED iPad Pro panels in 2025 is now revised downward to around 5–5.5 million units. This year’s OLED iPad Pro model will have no changes in hardware specifications, including the display, which means there are few factors to drive demand growth.
In response to the OLED iPad Pro’s performance, Apple has revised its OLED adoption plans. The OLED iPad mini will be released as planned in 2026, and the OLED iPad Air will now come in 2027, earlier than the original 2028 date. The upgrade for the OLED iPad Pro is pushed back from 2027 to 2028. The iPad mini and iPad Air will use a hybrid OLED structure with a single-stack approach for cost reduction. The 2028 iPad Pro is set to be the first among Apple’s tablets to add COE (Capsule OLED Encapsulation) technology. A foldable iPad is likely to be released after 2028, and it is expected to have both tandem display and COE technology.
For notebooks, the OLED-equipped MacBook Pro is scheduled for release at the end of 2026 as originally planned. It will use Samsung Display’s IT 8th generation OLED line, adding a hybrid structure, tandem display, and Oxide TFT. The OLED adoption for the MacBook Air, originally planned for 2027, is delayed until after 2028. It will maintain the hybrid structure but is likely to use a single-stack approach, unlike the Pro model.
Despite short-term concerns due to the OLED iPad Pro’s performance, it is expected that by 2028–2029, OLED panels will be used exclusively in all iPad and MacBook models. The future release of foldable products is also expected to have a positive impact on the market.