Samsung and LG Display, key suppliers expected to build advanced Gen 8 OLED panels for future MacBooks, are yet to place orders for specialized equipment associated with production lines for the high-end OLED panels, according to a new article by The Elec.
The article explains that Samsung and LG Display are concerned with the potential profitability of Gen 8 OLED panels. The situation is further complicated as Apple is still uncertain of how much its willing to pay per panel and the total number of panels it plans to order.
Apple’s uncertainty stems from the lack of precedent, as no MacBooks have adopted OLED technology yet, in addition to declining Mac revenue. The company reported a steep 30% year-over-year drop in Mac revenue generated in Q2 2023. Apple will seek to spend as little as possible when securing orders for OLED panels from its suppliers in an attempt to maximize its own revenue, adds the article.
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The article states that Samsung plans to spend ₩4.1 trillion ($3.1 billion) building facilities for Gen 8 OLED production lines between 2023 and 2026. LG Display is said to have suffered substantial losses from building a Gen 8 OLED TVs production line in 2019 that was underutilized due to low demand.
Plans for an OLED-equipped MacBook Air are unaffected by this development, however, as that machine is rumored to feature an older Gen 6 OLED stack. The OLED MacBook Air is said to launch sometime next year with a 13.4-inch display, with no other specs reported as of yet.
