Apple plans MacBook Air display upgrade, but OLED still far away
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MacBook Air. Apple's reported development of an oxide LCD panel for the MacBook Air is another sign that the OLED MacBook Air is still a long way from becoming a reality. Apple often updates the display technologies in its hardware, improving them in various ways as time rolls on. While OLED is considered to be what Apple is migrating towards across its product lines, it seems that the MacBook Air has a bit more of a wait ahead of it.
According to sources of TheElec on Monday, Apple is starting the development of displays for the MacBook Air that uses oxide thin-film-transistor (TFT) technology. The 14-inch MacBook Air and 16-inch MacBook Pro have used an oxide TFT LCD since 2022, while the MacBook Air models have stuck to standard TFT LCD panels.
The chief difference between TFT and oxide TFT production is in its semiconductor material, with TFT using amorphous silicon. Oxide TFTs use an oxide with the properties of a semiconductor, such as Indium-Gallium-Zinc Oxide. The difference in material offers many benefits including being able to shift electrons at a far faster rate using oxide TFTs. This can result in thinner display panels, higher response times, higher resolutions, and power savings among other benefits.
For the MacBook Air, this could result in many traits crossing over from the Pro models. This can include things like a higher resolution, HDR support, and possibly even ProMotion support. It is currently expected that LG Display will be the supplier of the oxide LCDs to the MacBook Air. It is already a supplier of similar panels for the MacBook Pro line, alongside Sharp.
