Apple May Have Found a New Way to Tempt MacBook Air Buyers Into Spending More Without Making Them Pay MacBook Pro Prices

Apple may be preparing a new MacBook that sits between the Air and Pro lines, according to a product roadmap from research firm Omdia. The unnamed model is expected to feature a 13.8-inch OLED display and could arrive in 2029.

The laptop would sit in a new product category separate from the existing MacBook Air and MacBook Pro families.

It would use a single-stack hybrid OLED panel rather than the tandem OLED technology expected in future MacBook Pro models, potentially allowing Apple to offer OLED at a lower price.

That distinction could help define where the new MacBook fits. Tandem OLED uses two light-emitting layers to improve brightness and lifespan, but the added hardware also increases production costs.

A single-stack panel would still bring OLED’s deeper blacks and higher contrast while being cheaper to manufacture.

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Apple could be carving out a new MacBook tier

The biggest clue is where the new model sits in Apple’s lineup. Rather than replacing the MacBook Air or stepping into MacBook Pro territory, it would occupy a new middle tier with an OLED display and features not currently available on any MacBook.

The Air, meanwhile, is expected to continue using LCD displays through at least 2030. That would give Apple a clear three-tier lineup:

1. MacBook Air: LCD display
2. New mid-tier MacBook: lower-cost OLED display
3. MacBook Pro: more advanced tandem OLED display

Beyond the display itself, the new MacBook could introduce several features that would further separate it from the Air.

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Those include an LTPO+ backplane for variable refresh rates, integrated touch sensing, an under-panel camera, and a color filter built into the OLED encapsulation layer.

The idea is fairly straightforward: offer a MacBook with a better display and more advanced features than the Air without pushing it into Pro territory. Which company would supply the OLED panels remains undecided.

There are plenty of reasons the plan could change before 2029. OLED production capacity, component costs, and Apple’s product strategy could all affect the roadmap.

It’s also an early supply-chain forecast rather than a confirmed Apple product, and Apple has not commented on the plans.