Apple will apparently use only a single display supplier for its upcoming MacBook Ultra, which could lead to a price increase. According to a report by the Korean electronics trade publication The Elec, the company’s procurement department has decided to purchase the OLED panel, presumably in a tandem configuration, from Samsung. Potential second or third suppliers like LG Display (also Korea) or BoE (China) did not win the bid. This makes Apple dependent on only one manufacturer – something Apple likes to avoid with the iPhone, for example, where LG and Samsung share the high-end devices and BoE has been used partly for cheaper devices for the Chinese market.
Logistics problems
According to The Elec, Apple had failed to achieve the necessary volumes. This is reportedly also due to the fact that Samsung Display uses a newer process (Generation 8.6) than LG (Generation 6). Therefore, it was logistically too complex to work with two display suppliers, and Apple decided on Samsung alone. However, this could change in the coming years, with LG apparently not ready before 2029.
LG Display is currently one of the most important suppliers of LCD displays for MacBook and MacBook Pro. For the iPad Pro M5, the company is handling parts of OLED production. This is expected to remain the case. LCDs will remain the standard for MacBooks for years to come, but the MacBook Ultra, which is reportedly the first Mac to feature a touchscreen, marks the beginning of the technological change. Standard MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models could follow, but that will take time.
