Apple MacBook Pro LCD Stays Until 2027 as OLED Costs Stall Switch

Apple is keeping LCD screens on MacBook Pro laptops until the end of 2027. This delay gives buyers more time to purchase familiar displays before the company switches to OLED technology. High memory prices and expensive OLED panels are forcing this strategic pause. Users who prefer LCD panels can expect them to remain available for several more years.

High memory and panel costs force Apple to keep LCD models in production

The decision stems from rising component costs that make a rapid transition difficult. Omdia analyst Park Jin-han stated that Apple is unwilling to add more cost pressure to screens. Rising memory prices are the main reason for Apple's slowdown in switching to OLED. The company is making a pragmatic choice to keep LCDs in production longer.

• LCD MacBook Pro Sales Duration: Until end of 2027
• OLED MacBook Pro 2024 Demand Forecast: Approx. 1 million units
• OLED MacBook Pro 2025 Demand Forecast: Under 4 million units
• MacBook Air/iPad Pro/iPad Air Combined Sales Forecast: Under 30 million units

OLED MacBook Pro demand for 2024 is forecast at approximately 1 million units. Demand for 2025 is expected to remain under 4 million units. These figures indicate that OLED models will not significantly outpace LCD versions. Panel manufacturers have reduced their expectations for large-scale OLED orders.

Combined sales for MacBook Air, iPad Pro, and iPad Air are forecast below 30 million units. This total misses earlier estimates of 37 million units for these devices. We looked at the last MacBook Pro update earlier while tracking these supply chain shifts. The data shows a clear shift in Apple's hardware strategy due to cost pressures.

Apple is extending the sales of LCD MacBook Pro models until the end of 2027. The delay in fully switching to OLED is driven by high memory prices and OLED panel costs. OLED MacBook Pro demand for 2024 is forecast at approximately 1 million units. OLED MacBook Pro demand for 2025 is forecast to remain under 4 million units.