Apple Plans Wider Color Gamut for Future MacBook Pro, iMac, and iPad Pro

[MacRumors]

Apple plans to adopt OLED panels capable of displaying a much wider range of colors, according to a new report from research firm TrendForce.

The new panels would cover 95% of the BT.2020 color standard, which describes a far broader spectrum of colors than the DCI-P3 standard Apple's screens currently target. In practice, that means deeper, more accurate reds, greens, and blues. Reaching those richer colors demands more precise control over the light a display emits, along with better energy efficiency, so TrendForce expects the next round of OLED competition to hinge less on familiar specs like brightness and thinness and more on balancing color, power consumption, and overall performance.

Apple first brought OLED to the iPad Pro in 2024, and the technology is expected to come to the MacBook Pro between 2026 and early 2027. To reach the wider color range, panel makers are changing the chemistry of the layer inside each pixel that actually produces light, moving from a simpler recipe toward more sophisticated designs that pass energy between materials more efficiently.

TrendForce points to several of these new approaches. One makes a pixel emit a purer, more precise color, which is what lets a screen reach the tougher BT.2020 targets. Another adds a "helper" material so the pixel turns energy into light more efficiently. A third mixes in extra materials to keep a panel bright for longer without wearing out.

The shift is also a chance for display makers to rely less on technologies they have to license from others. All of this is said to be changing the relationship between the companies that manufacture displays and the companies that supply the materials inside them, with the winners increasingly being whoever can offer the best mix of cost, ease of manufacturing, and freedom from patent licensing.

Apple plans to adopt the more advanced OLED panels gradually across future MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and iMac models, according to the report.

Article Link: Apple Plans Wider Color Gamut for Future MacBook Pro, iMac, and iPad Pro

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Current OLED panels already display over 1 BILLION colors. I wonder how many people can tell the difference or even care? Sounds like another reason to increase the price by using a more expensive panel technology.

 

[Nyx1]

When we get 12-bit color display for iPhone

 

[Blackstick]

I read too fast and thought they’d offer these devices in more colors. But this is good news, how much extra do we get to pay for the privilege? Another 25%?

 

[t0rqx]

Cancelled my Macbook Ultra preorder!

 

[boswald]

You'd think they would also release a new Studio Display with that kind of color accuracy around the same time. I wonder how expensive THAT would be too...

 

[hieranonymous]

An OLED iMac. 😮‍💨

 

[bizack]

"The new panels use a dedicated GPU and VRAM and will come with a starting price of $30,000 due to supply shortages from AI, Tim Cook said before leaving Apple."

 

[Ethan.Albano]

I thought some of the only OLEDs on the market that get close to 95% coverage of BT.2020 are Samsung’s QD-OLEDs. Curious to see if this is a precursor to moving over to those displays, or if other industry makers can really somehow match their performance by improving standard WOLED.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Current OLED panels already display over 1 BILLION colors. I wonder how many people can tell the difference or even care? Sounds like another reason to increase the price by using a more expensive panel technology.

I'm sure it won't be long before someone chimes in about their "need" for more color gamut range.

I agree with your take and it honestly just cracks me up.
We are so far beyond what basically everyone needs to do essentially everything.

Tech is in such a depressing place to me.
The ideas have all run out (seemingly) and it's now just trying to turn everything to "11" and/or turn the screws on consumer costs, as opposed to solving actual issues.

 

[M4irmidnight]

Apple plans to adopt OLED panels capable of displaying a much wider range of colors, according to a new report from research firm TrendForce.

The new panels would cover 95% of the BT.2020 color standard, which describes a far broader spectrum of colors than the DCI-P3 standard Apple's screens currently target. In practice, that means deeper, more accurate reds, greens, and blues. Reaching those richer colors demands more precise control over the light a display emits, along with better energy efficiency, so TrendForce expects the next round of OLED competition to hinge less on familiar specs like brightness and thinness and more on balancing color, power consumption, and overall performance.

Apple first brought OLED to the iPad Pro in 2024, and the technology is expected to come to the MacBook Pro between 2026 and early 2027. To reach the wider color range, panel makers are changing the chemistry of the layer inside each pixel that actually produces light, moving from a simpler recipe toward more sophisticated designs that pass energy between materials more efficiently.

TrendForce points to several of these new approaches. One makes a pixel emit a purer, more precise color, which is what lets a screen reach the tougher BT.2020 targets. Another adds a "helper" material so the pixel turns energy into light more efficiently. A third mixes in extra materials to keep a panel bright for longer without wearing out.

The shift is also a chance for display makers to rely less on technologies they have to license from others. All of this is said to be changing the relationship between the companies that manufacture displays and the companies that supply the materials inside them, with the winners increasingly being whoever can offer the best mix of cost, ease of manufacturing, and freedom from patent licensing.

Apple plans to adopt the more advanced OLED panels gradually across future MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and iMac models, according to the report.

Article Link: Apple Plans Wider Color Gamut for Future MacBook Pro, iMac, and iPad Pro

All I really need on iPad Pro is proper clamshell mode (or the ability to turn iPad screen off and use it with Studio Display) and for my Touch ID keyboard to work with the iPad Pro as well.

Apple-Here’s more colors.

Extra- Come to think of it, iPhone sorta has clamshell mode in a way , with iPhone mirroring , the display is off when in use with Mac…. Wild.

 

[FoxyKaye]

I read too fast and thought they’d offer these devices in more colors. But this is good news, how much extra do we get to pay for the privilege? Another 25%?

Me too. It was as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were silenced.

I miss color in the Pro models…

 

[CDPlayer]

“At Apple, we’re committed to making the best displays ever and now with our Super Micro OLED Tandem Quantum Retina Displays, our products have surpassed physics with colors the human eye cannot see! Blues are bluer, reds are redder, greens are greener and our quantum systems have broken dimensions with a whole new visual spectrum of colors never seen before!* Surf the web, watch award winning Apple TV content, and create generative AI images with the most powerful and vibrant displays ever!

We know you’re gonna see it!

*requires corneal and occipital lobe quantum implants with Apple Vision Ultima”

 

[MrLink]

100% sRGB is good enough for me, I even don't know what to do with DCI-P3. I do photography sometimes, and I always export to sRGB as its the standard color gamut that (mostly) looks the same across all different displays.

 

[120FPS]

Damn it, we just got to 100% of the previous standard. That 5% is going to bug me for a while.

 

[Nik]

Coming to the all new MacBook Pro Ultra Max for $3999.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Coming to the all new MacBook Pro Ultra Max for $3999.

With 9GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD probably too 😂

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

I'm sure it won't be long before someone chimes in about their "need" for more color gamut range.

I agree with your take and it honestly just cracks me up.
We are so far beyond what basically everyone needs to do essentially everything.

Tech is in such a depressing place to me.
The ideas have all run out (seemingly) and it's now just trying to turn everything to "11" and/or turn the screws on consumer costs, as opposed to solving actual issues.

Thanks. I specifically wasn't ruling out that some people could use it in their very specific case, my point was that Apple will make it standard for everyone, and increase the price of ALL MacBooks.

Of course, it would be preferred that Apple give the customer a choice of panels so that those that need 12-bit panels can pay for it, but the rest of us don't.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Thanks. I specifically wasn't ruling out that some people could use it in their very specific case, my point was that Apple will make it standard for everyone, and increase the price of ALL MacBooks.

Of course, it would be preferred that Apple give the customer a choice of panels so that those that need 12-bit panels can pay for it, but the rest of us don't.

I've wanted this for so long now.

Give us BTO screen options please!!

 

[CDPlayer]

With 9GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD probably too 😂

256GB SSD. Let’s not give them too much credit.

 

[turbineseaplane]

256GB. Let’s not give them too much credit.

"Nobody needs more ... just use iCloud!" 🤣 😁

Ugh ... I just reminded myself that I'm sure iCloud price jacks are coming up too.

 

[CDPlayer]

"Nobody needs more ... just use iCloud!" 🤣 😁

Ugh ... I just reminded myself that I'm sure iCloud price jacks are coming up too.

With subscription products. Who needs to own anything?

I hate this timeline.

 

[sputnikBA]

The initial target market for this is going to be the “We do pro-level video editing for a living” crowd that currently purchase reference monitors for use in shooting, vfx, compositing and colour grading that alone, cost more than Macs.

Those people will actually be able to see this as a saving in both equipment expenditure and weight.

 

[Steve01234]

Current OLED panels already display over 1 BILLION colors. I wonder how many people can tell the difference or even care? Sounds like another reason to increase the price by using a more expensive panel technology.

pretty much most folks will be able to see the difference - humans can see between 32 and 64 BILLION colors, so 1B is just 1/32 of what we can typically see. sRGB is a tiny color space.

Fun Fact : Rec. 2020 covers 75% of all colors humans can see, P3 covers 53%. P3 has a slightly smaller area outside of R2020, but is otherwise well enclosed by it.

Rec. 2020 extends much further into the cyan, deep green, and dark blue boundaries of human vision.

All that said, we are still delivering video to Rec 709 for compatibility with old displays while many displays are in the P3 range 🙁

 

[iDento]

An iMac with 27’ OLED would be great. If Ternus turn us back into pricing that makes sense.