Apple Aims to Make Every iPhone With an OLED Display by 2019

[MacRumors]

A new supply chain report claims that Apple is planning to use OLED for every iPhone model by 2019, with the company expected to adopt OLED panels for 60 million units of the iPhone 8 later in 2017, equating to around 40 percent of its total manufacturing run (via The Bell) [Google Translate]. Apple will double the adoption of OLED panels for the 2018 iPhone before completely migrating over to OLED-only models for 2019.

The same report claimed that both Samsung and Inteflex are currently gearing up production for flexible printed circuit boards (FPCB) for this year's iPhone 8, with Samsung specifically beginning an expansion of its Electro-Mechanics plant in Vietnam to account for the increased Apple supply quota this year.

Apple plans to introduce OLED panels to all iPhone models by 2019. This year's introduction accounted for only 40%, but next year it is expected to double to 80% and 100% next year.

For the 2017 iPhone line, Apple is expected to stick with LCD panels for two of the iPhones -- currently referred to as the "iPhone 7s" and "iPhone 7s Plus" -- while making the "iPhone 8" its first-ever mobile device to include an OLED screen. Today's supply chain report said that Apple will use three suppliers to produce OLED panels, and orders for each will be decided and placed when production is started around April or May.

The iPhone 8 is currently rumored to include an edge-to-edge OLED display with an integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor embedded within the screen. The OLED display is widely agreed to measure 5.8 inches, while the primary area of user interaction will be 5.15 inches, and below that there will be a "function row." The other two models are believed to keep the same aluminum design of current-model iPhones.

Article Link: Apple Aims to Make Every iPhone With an OLED Display by 2019

 

[jerry16]

Apple is expected to stick with LCD panels for two of the iPhones -- currently referred to as the "iPhone 7s" and "iPhone 7s Plus"

Sorry, I think you mean iPhone 6sss and iPhone 6sss Plus

 

[Appleaker]

I'm hopeful that they'll be able to use microLED by 2019.

 

[H2SO4]

There are going to be so many 180s on this forum when Apple finally decide to mimic Samsung tech.

 

[macduke]

I'm hopeful that they'll be able to use microLED by 2019.

Beat me to it! mLED will probably be in the high end model when they switch to OLED for everything else. At least I hope! I think the new "Pro" device will be a place to showcase newer tech without having to scale up so quickly due to the higher price point keeping sales lower than the mainline models.

 

[fokmik]

What is this microLed and why is better than amoled etc ?

 

[NT1440]

Beat me to it! mLED will probably be in the high end model when they switch to OLED for everything else. At least I hope! I think the new "Pro" device will be a place to showcase newer tech without having to scale up so quickly due to the higher price point keeping sales lower than the mainline models.

I think the watch is going to be the test bed for mass manufacturing of mLED. Once the yields are high enough only then will apple be confident in switching over for larger screens. I suspect the order will go Watch>iPhone>iPad>and only then MacBooks.

 

[69Mustang]

Beat me to it! mLED will probably be in the high end model when they switch to OLED for everything else. At least I hope! I think the new "Pro" device will be a place to showcase newer tech without having to scale up so quickly due to the price point.

No matter the tech they use, I hope they don't use the 'Pro' moniker. Pro has been devalued so much it no longer connotes professional. It's just marketing speak now. I mean seriously, what would make a phone 'Pro'?

As to mLED, I think the first appearance of that particular tech will be in the Apple Watch. Just like they did with OLED, the watch provides a perfect test platform to gauge the viability of mLED.

 

[Avieshek]

By then, Samsung would either be bringing Quantum-Dots display or atleast the 8th Gen OLED in mobiles.

 

[Jnesbitt82]

What is this microLed and why is better than amoled etc ?

They look better, they respond to input faster, and they use a ton less power than current tech.

 

[blackcrayon]

By then, Samsung would be either bringing Quantum-Dots display or atleast the 8th Gen OLED in mobiles.

And what's the big deal there? Samsung is a display manufacturer and supplier and can and will obviously supply their own products first once new tech is ready. They should always be one of the first in the industry on that front.

 

[jdclifford]

By then, Samsung would be either bringing Quantum-Dots display or atleast the 8th Gen OLED in mobiles.

And Apple will be introducing COLOR OLED screens in 2020. Yeah! Tim Cook's idea of innovation is to be a few production cycles BEHIND everyone else. Oh look we just added more emoji!

 

[blackcrayon]

And Apple will be introducing COLOR OLED screens in 2020. Yeah! Tim Cook's idea of innovation is to be a few production cycles BEHIND everyone else. Oh look we just added more emoji!

Then why has Apple been ahead in both SoC design and software optimization for the CPUs and GPUs within them? It's up to consumers to decide which aspects of the device are more important to them and there's no one clearly ahead (at least not to anyone who is serious about understanding the tech).

 

[Avieshek]

Then why has Apple been ahead in both SoC design and software optimization for the CPUs and GPUs within them? It's up to consumers to decide which aspects of the device are more important to them and there's no one clearly ahead (at least not to anyone who is serious about understanding the tech).

How long will you keep repeating the word Optimization, Forever?

 

[Sasparilla]

No matter the tech they use, I hope they don't use the 'Pro' moniker. Pro has been devalued so much it no longer connotes professional. It's just marketing speak now.

I mean seriously, what would make a phone 'Pro'?....

Pro = A starting price that is $200-$300 higher than the iPhone 7s this fall?

I hope they don't give us an iPhone Pro too, but this is the way they've been playing it for the past couple of years...maybe "special anniversary edition iPhone" will be what = $200-$300 higher price...We'll see (we're very much back to Pepsi style marketing making calls on things these days).

 

[Avieshek]

Pro = A starting price that is $200-$300 higher than the iPhone 7s this fall?

I hope they don't give us an iPhone Pro too, but this is the way they've been playing it for the past couple of years...maybe "special anniversary edition iPhone" will be what = $200-$300 higher price...We'll see.

Pro. Pro.. Pro... Tim Cook was a Pigeon in past life.

 

[blackcrayon]

How long will you keep repeating the word Optimization, Forever?

Me specifically? I guess as long as it's appropriate. And as long as certain companies throw more and more slow cores at the problem and fail to resolve it (see: high end Android devices in 2016 finally catching up to iOS running on an A8 in performance).

 

[bigjnyc]

I hope this rumor about the usable screen size being 5.15" is not true... I really want the high end OLED phone but I enjoy my 5.5 inches of screen space currently and wouldn't want to go down from that

 

[agsystems]

This is going to work out great for Apple since this will push upgrades for the next 3 years - if you are in yearly upgrade program it won't matter as you simply get the next model. The question is for folks that have to pay full price at what point you decide to the OLED phone.
[doublepost=1488810588][/doublepost]

I hope this rumour about the usable screen size being 5.15" is not true... I really want the high end OLED phone but I enjoy my 5.5 inches of screen space currently and wouldn't want to go down from that

You won't be losing and more likely gaining - right now the 5.5 has about 5'' of usable screen - you don't believe me take a ruler and measure it - the 5.5 has most of chin and wasted space of any modern phone right now.

This is going to be wonderful and its going to sell like nobody's business.

 

[69Mustang]

Me specifically? I guess as long as it's appropriate. And as long as certain companies throw more and more slow cores at the problem and fail to resolve it (see: high end Android devices in 2016 finally catching up to iOS running on an A8 in performance).

Aaaaaaaand... nobody cares. I don't say that dismissively. The vast majority of the consuming public doesn't care about SoC's, core count, or any of the technical gobbledygook. Why? None of it is customer facing. The OEM's know it well. Why do you think companies spend inordinate amounts of money on ads for their cameras, screens, apps, etc.? Because that's what consumers care about.

The only people who care about the inside tech are the people who don't matter from a consuming perspective: tech geeks and tech press. It's the same on the Android side regarding "pure Android". Nobody cares, 'cept the reviewers and the vocal geek minority... while the consumers actually spend money on Samsung's with Touchwiz.

Face it, we (some of us) care about stuff that gets the side eye in public. Superior hardware/software integrated optimization never sold a product. Never will.

 

[Johnny907]

Why is it taking Apple so long to do something the competition has been doing for years?

 

[alpha076]

This is going to work out great for Apple since this will push upgrades for the next 3 years - if you are in yearly upgrade program it won't matter as you simply get the next model. The question is for folks that have to pay full price at what point you decide to the OLED phone.
[doublepost=1488810588][/doublepost]
You won't be losing and more likely gaining - right now the 5.5 has about 5'' of usable screen - you don't believe me take a ruler and measure it - the 5.5 has most of chin and wasted space of any modern phone right now.

This is going to be wonderful and its going to sell like nobody's business.

I agree. If they keep existing dimensions of 4.7 inch phone, i dont know what will be length:width ratio if they almost eliminate top and bottom bezel (since it does not have much side bezels to start with)..so display will be more rectangular than current one...

about function bar, i am sure Apple is not fool not to use that portion of display while watching movies or playing games..but that is what worries people...

 

[agsystems]

Why is it taking Apple so long to do something the competition has been doing for years?

don't know if you are trolling or joking- Apple will need just about the entire industry production of OLED panels at the quality and quantity they (i.e., need to be 3D Touch and DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut enabled - and all this takes new plants to be built and get up and running.

 

[Bigsk8r]

There are going to be so many 180s on this forum when Apple finally decide to mimic Samsung tech.

I don't know about this. Although I am a bit of a fanboy, I have always seen the next best hardware part or material to be a logical step for any of the companies. Apple, Samsung, whoever...

What I would have an issue with is if Apple copies the curved edge message notifier without some acknowledgement or license fee to Samsung (IF they copyrighted or patented that). One is the natural advancement of tech, the other is a hypocritical copying of a well established feature.

 

[jhudgins]

They look better, they respond to input faster, and they use a ton less power than current tech.

And are not susceptible to burn in. Still, a phone is a pretty large screen for microLED, which is mostly used for small displays. I would think Apple's endgame would be to use the same screen tech in all their devices, including iPads, MacBooks, and Macs. Whatever they call it, it should have no backlight (perfect blacks) and display 100% accurate colors. That will be the holy grail of screen technology.