Samsung to Begin Next-Gen (Gen 8) Display Production This year

Samsung makes some of the most advanced displays in the world. The company is now gearing up to start production at its Gen 8 OLED factory, A6, in May 2026. This factory will produce large panels for laptops and tablets, including Apple’s upcoming MacBook models.

Samsung’s A6 factory to make large OLED panels for Apple MacBooks

For the uninited, the Gen 8 refers to the size of the glass substrates used in production. Larger substrates let manufacturers cut bigger panels, so they become ideal for devices such as laptops and tablets. We see smaller Gen 6 panels on most smartphones, so Gen 8 is a big size leap.

According to TheElec, Samsung Display has told its suppliers that it plans to start putting glass substrates into the A6 factory in May 2026. This suggests that the commercial production line is about to begin, making A6 the first Gen 8 OLED factory in operation.

At the A6 factory, Samsung will make 14-inch and 16-inch OLED panels for Apple’s MacBooks, expected to debut in Q4 2026. The company aims to ship around 2 million panels this year. Even though the panel starts the production phase in May, some components for the full MacBook display modules are yet to be finalized. Apple is reportedly making some design tweaks to its components to reduce costs. The Korean firm will initially focus on making sufficient panels, then assembling them with these components.

Samsung must supply the panels to Foxconn, Apple’s MacBook assembler, starting in the third quarter of 2026. By starting production in May, the company will get enough time to ramp up supply and avoid delays. The Korean display maker has ambitious targets for A6 — annual production capacity of 10 million 14.3-inch panels.

Samsung is also looking to attract other PC makers, such as Lenovo, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard, with its Gen 8 panels. Meanwhile, rival BOE, the Chinese display maker, is gearing up to start production at its Gen 8 OLED line, B16, in the second half of 2026.