Apple will finally introduce the first iPhone with an OLED display in 2017, reports Nikkei (via AppleInsider). The move would see Apple make the switch to OLED a year earlier than previously estimated.
Citing sources familiar with Apple’s plans, Nikkei reports that the Cupertino company has been in talks with LG and Samsung to ascertain the viability of ramping up their OLED production in time for next year’s iPhone upgrade.
Apple already uses OLED displays in Apple Watch, but they are yet to make their way to any of its other devices. The technology has a number of big advantages over LCD — which Apple currently uses — which makes it ideal for mobile gadgets like the iPhone.
For instance, when displaying darker colors, OLED displays require less power. In fact, total blacks require zero power at all, because black pixels simply do not light up. This is why Apple Watch’s watchOS user interface is much darker than that of iOS.
It’s thought Apple is turning to OLED displays earlier in an effort to boost iPhone sales. Many of its rivals now use OLED displays in their flagship devices, and Samsung’s outperform the iPhone’s every year in tests carried out by the experts at DisplayMate.
In November, Nikkei reported that Apple expected to switch to OLED displays in 2018. Apple supplier Japan Display is planning for mass production of OLED displays for iPhones beginning in early 2018. Samsung and LG, however, are expected to provide the bulk of the OLED panel production, with Samsung planning to ramp up OLED production to 45,000 panels per month this year. The ever-reliable KGI Securities Ming-Chi Kuo reported in November that Apple was unlikely to fully adopt OLED displays until 2019.
Before you get too exciting, though, it’s worth remembering that like all Apple rumors, there’s a chance this one is inaccurate. It’s best you take it with a pinch of salt until Apple confirms its plans for iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus next fall, then.
Source: Nikkei via AppleInsider
Apple Planning to Launch OLED iPhone in 2017