Apple’s future OLED iMac could use a new five-layer display panel that LG Display is developing to improve brightness, extend panel life, and reduce the risk of burn-in during long periods of use.
The Elec reports that LG Display is working on a five-stack OLED structure with blue, green, blue, red, and blue emitting layers. Its current high-resolution monitor panels use four layers, so the extra blue layer would help spread the electrical load across the display.
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That matters because high-resolution OLED panels use very small pixels, and manufacturers need to push more current through those pixels to maintain brightness. Higher electrical load can shorten panel life and increase the chance of image retention, especially on desktop displays that often show static menus and app interfaces for hours.
Apple is targeting a brighter OLED iMac
Apple reportedly asked LG Display and Samsung Display for information about OLED panels for a future 24-inch iMac last year. The company discussed a panel with 600 nits of brightness and a pixel density of 218 PPI, while the current 24-inch iMac uses an LCD panel rated at 500 nits.
LG Display has also developed a 27-inch 5K OLED panel with a 220 PPI RGB stripe layout, although that panel appears to serve mainly as a test for high-density OLED production rather than a direct iMac component.
The five-layer design adds manufacturing cost because it requires more organic material and a more complex deposition process, so LG still needs to meet Apple’s brightness and lifespan targets while keeping yields under control.
LG Display and Samsung Display are reportedly targeting 2028 for iMac OLED panel development, which points to a possible OLED iMac launch in 2029 at the earliest.
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