Apple Asks Samsung and LG to Develop Brighter OLED Displays for Future iMac

Apple is pushing ahead with plans to bring OLED screens to the desktop. The company has reportedly asked its top display suppliers to build test panels for a future 24-inch iMac.



According to ZDNet Korea, Apple recently asked Samsung Display and LG Display to produce OLED samples for the iMac using their existing mass production equipment. The reported target specifications include a 24-inch panel with a pixel density of 218 PPI and peak brightness of 600 nits. That would represent an increase over the 500-nit LCD panels used in current models. Apple is said to be aiming to introduce an OLED iMac around 2029 to 2030.


Between the two suppliers, Samsung Display is expected to move faster. The company is reportedly preparing OLED samples with a pixel density of around 220 PPI using its large-scale quantum dot (QD) OLED production lines, with delivery to Apple expected in the second half of this year. Samsung currently mass produces 160 PPI QD-OLED panels for monitors, and recently added inkjet equipment capable of supporting higher pixel densities. The company is expected to continue mass production of 160 PPI panels even after producing the higher-density samples. Samsung's role in Apple's supply chain has been expanding, with reports that it has begun mass production of OLED panels for future MacBook Pro models.

LG Display is also developing OLED samples for the iMac but is expected to trail Samsung's timeline. The company plans to rely on its White OLED (W-OLED) technology, which typically lags QD-OLED in brightness. To improve luminance, LG is reportedly working on a new five-stack W-OLED structure that adds an additional green layer, though this design has not yet entered mass production.

At the same time, LG is developing an alternative manufacturing approach known as eLEAP, which does not use fine metal masks. The technology is still under development and does not yet have a clear path to mass production.

A move to OLED for the iMac has been in development for some time, with earlier reports also pointing to work on brighter 24-inch displays. Apple is expected to introduce the technology on its MacBook lineup first, including an OLED MacBook Pro redesign rumored for late 2026. Before that transition reaches the desktop, the company is still planning a more traditional iMac refresh later this year with updated silicon and a revised color lineup.