Future is Flexible
Apple is in talks with display suppliers to launch a foldable MacBook model, which is expected to rev up the sluggish display market.
Apple is expected to launch a foldable laptop as soon as 2026, according to industry sources on July 6. Apple is in talks with suppliers to launch the foldable MacBook model and plans to launch it in 2026 after taking the wraps off of it in 2025.
Korean companies are also coordinating development and production plans for foldable OLED panels for laptops in line with the opening of the foldable panel market for IT devices.
Samsung Display has decided to invest 4.1 trillion won (US$3.1 billion) to produce 8.6-generation OLED panels from 2025 to 2026. LG Display is also investing in medium-sized OLED panels, including those for tablet PCs.
In the display industry, larger sizes are bound to be more profitable, although it is more difficult to achieve high definition. Foldable displays for laptops are more profitable than foldable displays for smartphones.
However, Korean manufacturers have released the first laptops with OLED panels, but not yet any with foldable OLED panels. Samsung Electronics has only secured trademark rights for foldable laptops.
The current leader in the foldable laptop market is Asus. In September 2022, the Taiwanese laptop maker launched the world’s first 17-inch foldable OLED laptop, the ZenBook 17 Fold OLED. The product is reportedly loaded with panels from China’s BOE.