Samsung opens new A6 OLED fab to produce panels for Apple's MacBook

2026 continues to see the build-out of OLED capacity for mid-sized displays, with Samsung Display now ramping mass production at its new A6 factory, dedicated to Apple's MacBook Pro.

LG Display was also in the running, but Apple ultimately picked Samsung Display as the supplier for its first OLED-based MacBook, likely to launch as a MacBook Pro or possibly MacBook Ultra in late 2026 or early 2027. This will mark the beginning of Apple's transition from LCD to OLED in laptops.

- "The LCD-to-OLED transition is spreading from smartphones to IT devices, and Gen 8.7 investment is accelerating with it. Both BOE and Samsung Display (SDC) began mass-producing OLED NBPC (Notebook PC) panels this year on Gen.8.7 (2250x2620mm) substrates using the Fine Metal Mask (FMM) method," said Counterpoint Research.

 Læs også: LG's new 'Flipp' OLED promises brighter, longer-lasting displays up to 100"


Best OLED display yet?
The OLED panel in the MacBook is widely expected to be extremely good and set new standards for display performance. It will likely be a tandem OLED with an IGZO backplane, offering high brightness, true blacks, adaptive refresh rates and excellent energy efficiency and lifespan. It will reportedly also be Apple's first touchscreen in a Mac.

When Apple launched its first iPad with an OLED, it popularized the term Tandem OLED and called it the "world's most advanced display".

One report has suggested that Apple is targeting BT.2020 colors – a step up from DCI-P3 today – but it is unclear if its first OLED MacBook will offer it.

 Also read: When to expect OLED in iPad Air, iPad Mini, MacBook Air & MacBook Pro


Third new OLED fab in 2026 – more to come
Samsung Display's A6 factory started production this summer without much fanfare, likely due to the fact that it will produce OLED displays almost exclusively for Apple.

- "BOE's ceremony preceded SDC's by roughly three weeks, giving the Chinese panel maker a claim to the world's first Gen.8.7 IT OLED mass production. SDC followed on July 2 at its A6 fab, marking the start of mass production for the Apple MacBook Pro and announcing an investment plan of KRW 67 trillion ($46.5 billion) through 2040," said Counterpoint Research.

A6 is expected to fully ramp up mass production this month with an expected production of around 2–2.5 million OLED panels for Apple's MacBook in 2026. Samsung Display is planning to double production capacity later and supply other PC makers too.



Samsung Display's A6 is the third new Gen 8 OLED factory to start production in 2026, just weeks after China's BOE started mass production in June at its new B16 factory. Later this year, BOE will expand production and TCL CSOT may start production of printed OLED at its T8 factory, ahead of its planned 2027 opening, according to Counterpoint Research.

OLED will account for 73% of all investment in display production this year, with micro-OLED accounting for a further 3% and LCD for 24%, down from 32% in 2025, according to Counterpoint.