Apple is tipped to get one of the largest practical OLED displays as early as this summer, a rumor from Australia's Smarthouse. Reportedly, a senior executive from LG Display says Apple will use a newly-developed 15-inch screen for a "brand new" notebook due in June and will be one of the first companies anywhere to use the screen. It wouldn't show up in other companies' products until a hybrid TV and computer monitor appears in the fall.

Which notebook line would use it, as well as the specifications, aren't mentioned. The system is nonetheless likely to be expensive, according to the official, as the panel will be 2 to 3 times as costly to make as an equivalent LCD. It's assumed the component price will eventually fall and make the design more affordable.

The claim of a 15-inch OLED is potentially very questionable and depends heavily on cost reductions for the organic technology, which provides much higher color accuracy and contrast while reducing the energy draw. Sony currently sells its 11-inch OLED TV for $2,500, but hasn't changed the price since early 2008 and also includes components that Apple doesn't need, such as a digital TV tuner and multiple HDMI inputs. Smarthouse hears that a 32-inch LG OLED TV will sell for the equivalent of $2,832 US in June 2010 and implies that a 15-inch screen would cost much less.

Regardless of authenticity, the rumor arrives three months after Apple struck a 5-year deal with LG Display that was officially described as unusual for its length and scope. The deal involved a large $500 million advance uncharacteristic for Apple, which was already using LG for 70 percent of its computers' screens.