2020 iPhones Expected to Feature Thinner and Possibly More Power Efficient Displays

[MacRumors]

At least some new iPhones in 2020 will feature touch-integrated displays supplied by LG, according to Korean website The Elec:

LG Display is aiming to upgrade its production facilities for flexible, Gen-6 OLED panels for smaller displays at its E6 lines in Paju of Gyeonggi Province. For this, the firm will be adding new equipment by early 2020 to produce touch-integrated panels, while switching to the LTPO backplane technology.

As the E6 lines are known to be Apple-exclusive, the touch-integrated screens are to be supplied to the new iPhones to be launched next year, according to industry sources on Dec. 17.

This mirrors a recent report from Korean website ETNews, which claimed that so-called iPhone 12 Pro models will adopt a technology that allows touchscreen circuitry to be directly patterned on the OLED panel without the need for a separate layer, resulting in a thinner display and lower production costs.

ETNews said a lower-cost 6.1-inch model, presumably the iPhone 12, will stick with a traditional film-based display.

It is unclear if thinner displays would translate to thinner iPhones as a whole this year. Notably, the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are actually slightly thicker and heavier than the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, respectively, as Apple included larger batteries in its latest iPhones.

Today's report from The Elec also claims that LG is preparing to switch to LTPO backplane technology in the second half of 2020. The backplane is responsible for turning individual pixels on and off on the display.

LTPO, or low-temperature polycrystalline oxide, has an Oxide TFT structure that uses up to 15 percent less power than LTPS, or low-temperature polysilicon, the backplane technology that Apple currently uses. Naturally, that could contribute to more power efficient displays and longer battery life on 2020 iPhones.

Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5 models already feature LTPO displays. Apple's website says the technology enables Series 5 models to have the same up-to-18-hour battery life as Series 4 models despite having an always-on display:

The low temperature poly-silicon and oxide display features a reinvented pixel architecture that lets the screen refresh rate dip from 60Hz to a power-sipping 1Hz when the watch is inactive. A new low-power driver, ultra-efficient power management, and a new ambient light sensor work together so the display can stay always on with up to 18 hours of battery life.

It is unclear if LG will be ready to mass produce LTPO displays in time for 2020 iPhones.

2020 is expected to be a big year for the iPhone, with rumors pointing to new display sizes and technologies, a redesigned metal frame similar to the iPhone 4, rear-facing 3D sensing, 5G support, up to 6GB of RAM, and more.

Article Link: 2020 iPhones Expected to Feature Thinner and Possibly More Power Efficient Displays

 

[AppleGuesser]

Yeah baby, thinner!!! 😏

 

[jeff275]

There's a news flash for you...

 

[Falhófnir]

Inching back towards iPhone XS size and weight without compromising on the 11 Pro levels of battery life sounds like a sensible direction to head in.

 

[MaxxTraxx]

Bigger battery! Not thinner! PLEASE.

 

[Plutonius]

Predicting that Apple wants to go thinner on designs isn't much of a prediction .

 

[izyreal]

My hope is that Apple will use whatever space they save to increase the battery size. My current iPhone has great battery life, but I still wouldn’t mind a bit more.

 

[littlemidge]

They will put a bigger battery in the iPhone. They won’t make it any thinner than it already is. Imo of course.

 

[gkarris]

will it bend?

 

[itsmilo]

„Always on“ with customizable on screen functions would be welcome

 

[DocMultimedia]

Please don't go thinner. Use extra space to make battery thicker, along with more efficiency.

Battery life more important than thinness at this point.

 

[Mansu944]

Well, I guess I am waiting until October 2020 now.

 

[PickUrPoison]

I don’t think the integrated touch screen decreases thickness much at all, but the 15% power savings for the display would allow them to use maybe a 10% smaller battery, thankfully. The current phones are too thick and heavy.

When are we ever going to get a thinner iPhone? It’s starting to get ridiculous.

Maybe now that Ive is gone we can finally get less of the brick the iPhone 11 has become 🤞
/s

 

[iJustines]

20% thinner, there you have it without the ugly notch screen.

 

[Seanm87]

I actually would take thinner and lighter. I think the battery life is at a good level now.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Too early to get excited over any rumors at this point.

Touch ID under the screen in a smaller form factor ( 5.4”) with the body similar to the 4s would be good news for me.

 

[Bandaman]

Dunno why you people are freaking out about a thinner phone. The article is clearly talking about a thinner display.

 

[GLS]

Color me confused, not by the display tech, but the whole new iPhone thing in 2020.

Apple always releases two generations of a phone (X, XS, 6, 6S) for example. They only went from 7 to 8 when the X was released.

So why would Apple jump from 11 and 11 Pro to 12 after one year?

 

[Seanm87]

Dunno why you people are freaking out about a thinner phone. The article is clearly talking about a thinner display.

A thinner display leaves empty room inside the phone. They either fill that with something else (I.e battery) or they just make the phone itself thinner.

 

[Bandaman]

Color me confused, not by the display tech, but the whole new iPhone thing in 2020.

Apple always releases two generations of a phone (X, XS, 6, 6S) for example. They only went from 7 to 8 when the X was released.

So why would Apple jump from 11 and 11 Pro to 12 after one year?

It could very well be the 11S. I don't care what it's called anymore. I just like new and shiny things.

A thinner display leaves empty room inside the phone. They either fill that with something else (I.e battery) or they just make the phone itself thinner.

Let's hope for more battery. Apple is killing it lately in that department.

 

[Seanm87]

Color me confused, not by the display tech, but the whole new iPhone thing in 2020.

Apple always releases two generations of a phone (X, XS, 6, 6S) for example. They only went from 7 to 8 when the X was released.

So why would Apple jump from 11 and 11 Pro to 12 after one year?

Money. Marketing is powerful calling a phone iPhone 12 instead of 11s will mean it sells more. Regardless of how little changes.

 

[citysnaps]

Excellent news if true!

 

[DrwMDvs]

The more I hear, the more I like. I'm getting closer and closer to the tipping point of retiring my iPhone 6s+, even though it still works (mostly). I've often wanted to stay clear of first editions, but if this includes USB-C, then that might be the final nail in the coffin. 5 years with a single phone is good enough, right?

 

[EugW]

So why would Apple jump from 11 and 11 Pro to 12 after one year?

Cuz it’s a new form factor.

However, I hope they name it Zq or whatever just to confuse everyone.

 

[dz5b609]

Please don't go thinner. Use extra space to make battery thicker, along with more efficiency.

Battery life more important than thinness at this point.

Bigger battery! Not thinner! PLEASE.

And make it even heavier? Yeah, no thank you.

The iPhone Xs Max is already at a barely acceptable weight. Also with the way Apple now has the battery this will also mean a more bottom heavy phone, disturbing the weight distribution which is the only thing that makes the Xs Max wieldable.