Apple’s recent MacBook Neo launch has introduced the tech giant’s “most affordable laptop ever” – and there’s already been discussion of a sequel. Well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also been talking about Apple’s OLED roadmap, detailing when the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air will be upgraded to OLED panels for the first time.

Of course, any of this information should be taken with a pinch of salt, but Kuo has been pretty spot-on in the past. He previously predicted with great accuracy what the “more-affordable MacBook” (now known to be Neo) would turn out to be. Plus, we’ve been hearing about OLED MacBooks for a while, with a launch currently slated for late 2026 or early 2027.

OLED MacBook Pro and MacBook Air rumors

In a detailed post on X, Ming-Chi Kuo discusses the future of Apple MacBook hardware. He reiterates his earlier prediction of when Apple’s first OLED MacBook will be launched – Q4 2026 or Q1 2027. Kuo also predicts that MacBook shipments will reach “about 25 million units” during 2026, a growth of around 20-25% year-over-year.

“Reiterating my earlier forecast: MacBook Pro is expected to receive a major upgrade with OLED touch panels in late 4Q26 or early 1Q27.

MacBook Air is expected to adopt OLED panels around 2028 or 2029.”

Ming-Chi Kuo, source: X

Industry-wide memory and storage shortages are likely to remain and cause disruption, but Kuo suggests Apple also has a strategy to combat it – “use the memory market chaos to their advantage” by securing chips, absorbing costs, and earning more market share. The budget-friendly $599 price tag on the MacBook Neo and new iPhone 17e is evidence of that.

What about the MacBook Neo 2?

Neo 2 was originally expected to feature a touch panel to compete with Chromebooks (50%+ of which support touch), but my latest industry checks suggest Neo 2 may not adopt it.

Ming-Chi Kuo, source: X

As you can see above, Kuo originally suggested the next-gen MacBook Neo would ship with a touchscreen, in order to blend in with the majority of the budget laptop (Chromebook in particular) crowd. He has now retracted that statement. The reason for focusing on this spec is that Apple has never actually released a Mac or MacBook with a touchscreen. This functionality has historically been left for the iPad (of which there’s a new M4 Air model).

Now that we’ve hit March 11, Apple’s new series of hardware has officially been released – one week after pre-orders were made available. A series of announcements led up to the big launch during Apple’s ‘special experience’ last week. Aside from the Neo, Apple has also released new MacBook M5 models, including M5 Pro and M5 Max chips.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.