The next iPhones from 2018 onwards may sport OLED displays, according to speculations.
According to MacRumors, a recent report from Japanese website Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun said supply company Japan Display is in talks with Cupertino-based Apple to provide OLED displays for iPhones. The report also mentioned that the supplier plans to mass-produce the components starting in spring 2018.
This means that the next iteration of the iPhone could have OLED display, the same as that of the Apple Watch. However, Apple gets its watch displays from Samsung, and aside from a healthy smartphone rivalry, GSM Arena said that Apple will require a huge supply because of the expected demand, and only a limited number of suppliers could facilitate the components.
Meanwhile, Japan Display seems to be anticipating this influx of possible order, as the industry follower also noted that the Japanese tech company ramped up its research and upgrade. Apparently, Japan Display has already started researching on OLED panel assembly and will be upgrading from Gen 4.5 to Gen 6 just in time for the 2018 production.
If this speculation is proven true, this somewhat dovetails with a recent prediction by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple Insider quoted Kuo previously as saying that Apple will embrace OLED displays eventually. However, Kuo predicted that the Cupertino-based company will not make the switch until 2019 at the earliest.
Most flagship iteration have switched to OLED panels due to their better contrast ratio and color accuracy features. OLED panels are also known to consume less energy on a device, leading to power savings and longer standby time for mobile units. Leading tech manufacturers like LG and Samsung have both used OLED and AMOLED screens on their flagship devices. However, in terms of manufacturing and assembly, OLED displays have higher manufacturing costs but shorter lifespans than LCD panels.
