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13-Inch MacBook Air With OLED Display Rumored to Launch in 2024
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This is interesting to me because I plan to either buy the 14 or 16 MBP M2. Not sure which size yet! I love the extra screen real estate, but the size makes it cumbersome to lug around. It would be used significantly for Garage Band and other music apps, so that’s why I would like the bigger screen. Still, it’s a beast and definitely more weighty. A 15 MBP would be perfect. Heck, maybe a 15 MBA M3 would work! So undecided!! 😩
I love my OLED but I’d be concerned about the dock burning in. I guess the solution would be to rearrange your icons frequently or never change them ever. They need to figure out that pretty big OLED limitation before a public release.
If that was the case, all Apple products would be nich. Even Apple’s cheapest laptop is 2 to 3 times a low end Windows laptop that’s designed to do the same thing. Apple makes great products, but value… No way
I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say, I went to the Apple store and the new MacBook Pro is such a great value 😂
Will be nice if Apple releases a 15" Air. Will also be good if the rumoured 13" Air with OLED comes with multiple colour options.
OLED provides far better contrast than LCD, but this will not be a beneficial change for those sensitive to OLED flicker.
OLEDs can be dimmed with analog dimming (aka constant current reduction), but I've read that analog dimmers are too large and power-hungry for smart phones; another downside of analog dimming is color shifting with brightness. Thus they are dimmed digitally by rapidly switching the pixels on and off. This is called pulse width modulation (PWM). The problem is that the frequency at which OLEDs can do this is not that high (often below 100 Hz, though it can go higher), and some can perceive this flickering and get headaches from it. The flicker becomes especially noticeable when the display is dimmed. E.g., at 10% brightness, the display would have a duty cycle of 10% on and 90% off. That's why people using OLED devices at night are more likely to get eyestrain.
It would be nice if Apple gave consideration to this in making its MacBook Pro OLED screens, and was able to either use an analog dimmer, or chose an OLED technology with a high PWM frequency. For instance, according to https://www.notebookcheck.net/PWM-R...del=1&screen_resolution=1&screen_panel_type=1 , OLED variants are available with PWM frequencies > 800 Hz (833 Hz for the AMOLED Lenovo Legion Phone Duel). However, it doesn't seem Apple cares about PWM flicker, since the iPhone 14's PWM frequency is only 60 Hz. [Would the 120 Hz frequency of the new displays mean the minimum PWM frequency would also be 120 Hz?]
The LED's used to backlight LCD screens also use PWM dimming. The difference is that their PWM frequency is much higher, which makes flicker far less noticeable (and typically imperceptible, even for sensitive viewers). For instance, according to the above link, the PWM frequency for the 14" & 16" M1 MacBook Pro LCD screens is 14,880 Hz.
See also:
www.dxomark.com
osxdaily.com
OLEDs can be dimmed with analog dimming (aka constant current reduction), but I've read that analog dimmers are too large and power-hungry for smart phones; another downside of analog dimming is color shifting with brightness. Thus they are dimmed digitally by rapidly switching the pixels on and off. This is called pulse width modulation (PWM). The problem is that the frequency at which OLEDs can do this is not that high (often below 100 Hz, though it can go higher), and some can perceive this flickering and get headaches from it. The flicker becomes especially noticeable when the display is dimmed. E.g., at 10% brightness, the display would have a duty cycle of 10% on and 90% off. That's why people using OLED devices at night are more likely to get eyestrain.
It would be nice if Apple gave consideration to this in making its MacBook Pro OLED screens, and was able to either use an analog dimmer, or chose an OLED technology with a high PWM frequency. For instance, according to https://www.notebookcheck.net/PWM-R...del=1&screen_resolution=1&screen_panel_type=1 , OLED variants are available with PWM frequencies > 800 Hz (833 Hz for the AMOLED Lenovo Legion Phone Duel). However, it doesn't seem Apple cares about PWM flicker, since the iPhone 14's PWM frequency is only 60 Hz. [Would the 120 Hz frequency of the new displays mean the minimum PWM frequency would also be 120 Hz?]
The LED's used to backlight LCD screens also use PWM dimming. The difference is that their PWM frequency is much higher, which makes flicker far less noticeable (and typically imperceptible, even for sensitive viewers). For instance, according to the above link, the PWM frequency for the 14" & 16" M1 MacBook Pro LCD screens is 14,880 Hz.
See also:
Flicker, the display affliction
All screens flicker to some degree, but what causes it on smartphones in particular, and how does DXOMARK test for it?
www.dxomark.com
Managing PWM on OLED iPhone & iPad Displays
Some iPhone and iPad users are sensitive to PWM flickering on the latest devices OLED displays. PWM, which stands for Pulse Width Modulation, can cause some users to have eye strain, feel nauseous …
osxdaily.com
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In 2024 - OLED? Doubtful. Well, perhaps its cost will have come down further by then so will make economic sense.
No - I don't mean they won't use better tech than now, I'm wondering "Why OLED?"
You see - "What about Mini LED?" comes to mind. Hear me out...
Every time we talk about this topic, people always say Mini LED is years away.
Well, it isn't. It's already HERE.
I was walking through Biccamera near my office here in Tokyo, and this dazzling display caught my eyes. It was 85", and looked like I was literally looking out of a window. What's this? I thought. Walking over, looking over the spec, wondering what updates had made it into this new TV, and I stopped short. Mini-LED. What!? Yes, Mini-LED. Looking around I discovered several TVs by Sharp and Sony using MiniLED tech. I am telling you now, it absolutely and completely obliterated the OLED TVs. It's not even close. MiniLED is still more expensive than OLED, but the price will come down. I'm no longer saving for an OLED TV - I'm saving for a MiniLED TV.
This is now.
But 2024 - when the new Macs come out with newer display tech - is likely almost a year and a half away.
So, I wonder - if they really do go for OLED, it will be due to cost. But if they can get MiniLED in - it will change everything.
No - I don't mean they won't use better tech than now, I'm wondering "Why OLED?"
You see - "What about Mini LED?" comes to mind. Hear me out...
Every time we talk about this topic, people always say Mini LED is years away.
Well, it isn't. It's already HERE.
I was walking through Biccamera near my office here in Tokyo, and this dazzling display caught my eyes. It was 85", and looked like I was literally looking out of a window. What's this? I thought. Walking over, looking over the spec, wondering what updates had made it into this new TV, and I stopped short. Mini-LED. What!? Yes, Mini-LED. Looking around I discovered several TVs by Sharp and Sony using MiniLED tech. I am telling you now, it absolutely and completely obliterated the OLED TVs. It's not even close. MiniLED is still more expensive than OLED, but the price will come down. I'm no longer saving for an OLED TV - I'm saving for a MiniLED TV.
This is now.
But 2024 - when the new Macs come out with newer display tech - is likely almost a year and a half away.
So, I wonder - if they really do go for OLED, it will be due to cost. But if they can get MiniLED in - it will change everything.
OLED is not good for your eyes.
It's like an EV, which harms the environment more than combustion engines.
So, hope they put microLED instead fancy OLED.
PS In my sweet dreams microLED on MacBook 12 with M3 chip and 5G with eSIM – I will pay for such a machine any amount of money.
It's like an EV, which harms the environment more than combustion engines.
So, hope they put microLED instead fancy OLED.
PS In my sweet dreams microLED on MacBook 12 with M3 chip and 5G with eSIM – I will pay for such a machine any amount of money.
I disbelieve the rumor just because I don't feel like Apple would be able to make such a display happen at the $1199/1099EDU price point. Happy to be proven wrong.
MiniLED is here, but it's the stopgap to microLED, which is essentially the cold fusion of display tech right now—perennially a few years down the line, but promising to combine the advantages of OLED and LEDs. Those video walls you're talking about might be MicroLED, because that's the only place they've been viable at present. There are no consumer display panels with the tech.
And it's not coming to anything south of the high end for years when it finally shows up in an Apple product.
MiniLED is here, but it's the stopgap to microLED, which is essentially the cold fusion of display tech right now—perennially a few years down the line, but promising to combine the advantages of OLED and LEDs. Those video walls you're talking about might be MicroLED, because that's the only place they've been viable at present. There are no consumer display panels with the tech.
And it's not coming to anything south of the high end for years when it finally shows up in an Apple product.
Thanks for your comment.
They weren't video walls - they were 42", 46", 55", 65" and 85" television sets using MiniLED technology. While MicroLED is the holy grail for the future, I have to say the MiniLED was amazingly good. Very high contrast, true blacks (just like OLED) at the pixel level (meaning a group of RGB sub pixels are lit using one single while LED).
I actually wonder if MicroLED will really bring anything more to the table given how good the TV sets looked.
The only thing about laptop panels is the pixel pitch is quite small, so there may still be an issue getting the white illumination LEDs that light each pixel down in size (sorry, not something I have yet looked into) - which may make it more expensive. We shall see I guess.
I think it absolutely will happen; it's just a matter of when. The entire managerial/executive demographic market wants it. I want it and still use mine daily. If they can do it with an Intel chip, then for sure they can do it with apple silicon. I think they've got to move past the Mac Pro release and china manufacturing drama before they can really release more products. I think the hardware unit will grow 10% QoQ this next year. Serious gains! I ain't buying a MBA or anything else until I get my new MacBook!
That 720P issue everyone had was so dumb too. The Pixel density was identical to all smaller sized LCD based iPhones prior to it (aside from the Plus models that did 1080P that were just slightly more dense). People didn’t complain about it before, but all of the suddenly, that 720P resolution was trash and no good even thought it was still literally the same retina PPI that had been used since iPhone 4. It’s amazing how well marketing works on people…
Micro-LED won’t need dimming zones as it’s similar to OLED, but my understanding is that it should be without burn-in issues.
Thinness. You can never be too thin or too rich.🙄🙄🙄
Yep. This is gonna be a problem since the dock usually has the same icons in the same place, sometimes for the lifetime of the machine. OLED ain't what you want if you plan on keeping a machine for a long time.
Yarp. Color accuracy trumps longevity if it affects your income. Pro can easily replace their machines with next model when it comes out because tax write off.
Well, I hope you’re better at predicting Apple products than I am, because it would be a nice addition to the Apple lineupI think it absolutely will happen; it's just a matter of when. The entire managerial/executive demographic market wants it. I want it and still use mine daily. If they can do it with an Intel chip, then for sure they can do it with apple silicon. I think they've got to move past the Mac Pro release and china manufacturing drama before they can really release more products. I think the hardware unit will grow 10% QoQ this next year. Serious gains! I ain't buying a MBA or anything else until I get my new MacBook!
Exactly. Most people don’t have a very good understanding of the technical specs of their electronics. They just buy what they think is best and use it. There’s nothing wrong with that but manufacturers tend to put a lot of BS marketing out as specs because people don’t know any better.
Yes true, you are right, I didn't explain myself properly!
What I meant was it was bad value relative to the rest of the Apple lineup at the time. Similar in a way I see upgrading the new M2 Air to 512/16gb to have parity with the 14 MBP, the Air then seems poor value when compared together...
My takeaway from that is why would the 13” MBP exist at all in 2024? That needs to be replaced with a better model ASAP.
The rumors suggest that Apple has been working with suppliers on a dual-layer OLED. That is supposed to reduce burn in and allow greater brightness without overdriving individual emitters. It also is supposed to address a problem that OLEDs of this size have where the display can warp. Having two layers is supposed to prevent that warping. The question is whether Apple can get such a display at a reasonable cost.
It is a mixed bag. OLED gives you good blacks, but the min-LED/LCD gives you much brighter whites. Neither one demolishes the other.
Just by a 13” MBP if you want a fan. The Air is soothingly silent and we like it that way.