OLED MacBook Air Delay: Is the Caveat worth the Wait for a Better Value

OLED MacBook Air Delayed Until 2029: Is That a Good Thing?
The latest rumor suggests that the OLED MacBook Air has been pushed back to 2029, and while it might seem like a disappointment, there’s a silver lining. Apple’s most affordable laptop, the MacBook Air, has always been a great value, offering a blazing-fast chip and superb build quality at an unbeatable price. But adding OLED technology could compromise its best feature: its affordability.
Why a Delay Isn’t the Worst News
The rumor comes from Korean outlet The Elec, citing poor sales performance of the OLED iPad Pro as the reason for the delay. While it’s not the first time we’ve heard of a delay to the OLED MacBook Air, I’m actually glad that there’s more evidence it’s been postponed. That’s not because I’m an OLED hater – I’d love to see an OLED panel on the MacBook Air one day. But I’m concerned that adding OLED would push up the price.
OLED: A Costly Addition
OLED is a costly addition to any computer, and there’s no doubt that bringing it to the MacBook Air would increase its price. Right now, you can buy an M2 MacBook Air for under $1,000 / £1,000, with the speedy M3 model costing just $100 / £100 more. How long would we be able to continue saying that if OLED was part of the equation?
Still the Best Apple Laptop for Most People
The MacBook Air is not a laptop designed for Apple’s most demanding users – that’s a role fulfilled by the MacBook Pro. Instead, the MacBook Air is for everyone else, and its combination of fair price and quality features makes it the best Apple laptop for most people. I’d be willing to bet that the majority of Apple’s MacBook Air customers care more about the price than they do about their laptop’s display tech.
A Better Time for OLED?
By 2029, OLED costs might have fallen enough that the price impact will be minimal, in which case we could have our cake and eat it, too. That would be a great time to introduce OLED to the MacBook Air. Right now, though, keeping the price low is probably what most MacBook Air fans care more about.
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[Image: MacBook Air (2022, M2)]