Apple Reportedly Still Uninterested in OLED Technology for iOS Devices and Potential Televisions

[mjsanders5uk]

For all its issues, OLED is the best technology out there at the moment. its not mainstream because its still expensive to make. That's after FED but that seems to have died.

The latest Sony OLED panels are the are the only ones that have finally proven there worth against trusty CRT's for the most critical of TV monitoring environments.

The units are expensive, £20,000, and have to see to be be believed - they are rival the old Grade 1 BVM series and that's the problem. Its taken a lot of hard work to get OLED to look this good and that's why there are so expensive.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

You're talking like the last ten years of Apple never happened... where have you been?

Been here the whole time... even buying lots of Apple products. There was plenty of room to innovate better computers, better music players, better smart phones, etc. I don't think an HDTV has similar amounts of room... especially if anything in what can be done in software is also going to be available in an around $99 set-top box for any other HDTVs.

Apple's magic is in the combination of hardware & software. In this case, the software experience also being fully available on all other TVs would be like making OS-X of iOS available for all other computers & smart phones. All that's left in such cases is the HARDWARE and as much as I've read the collective opinions here of "720p is good enough" to justify the 720p cap in the current TV, it's going to be hard to believe that some of the same people who argue that will now imagine some magical, superior display hardware that will be the exclusive domain of only Apple (though supplied by someone like Sharp, Samsung, LG or similar).

Personally, I've got a beautiful display with an Apple logo in my iMac and a beautiful HDTV display in my living room with a Samsung logo on the front. I'm all for a next-gen TV with 1080p and even better Apple software displayed on that Samsung. There's pretty much NO way I'd toss the Samsung so that the guts of the little box could be built inside of a panel perhaps also made by Samsung... especially one priced for Apple's targeted margins, with screen size chosen by Apple, with remote choices made by Apple, etc.

 

[clickgr]

OLED is too expensive technology for the time being. If Apple decide to get into the TV market soon this will probably happen with LCD technology and only for 40"+ sizes. OLED needs at least 3 more years to be competitive in the market of big screens.

 

[gugy]

When and if Apple makes its branded TV, it will be one of two things: (1) continue its hobby status and merely integrate Apple TV into stylish high quality display panel or (2) disrupt the market.

If it goes for the later, I suspect it will debut as the first iOS device designed for group interaction and consumption (iPad, iPhone, iPod touch are designed for individual experience).

For the couch potatoes, it will rely on existing Apple Remote based interface for casual consumption of video contents.

For group-based interaction, it will be a hub to portable iOS devices, similar to how Lion's AirDrop work. Each user will full swipe on portable iOS screen (in the direction of the TV) to send and share contents.

For more unique experience, it will have a built-in Xbox Kinect like sensor to allow physical gesture-based inputs.

Apple can do all of that with a box like the current AppleTV. No need to have a display with ATV build on it.
I really don't see the point of Apple jumping on the TV set market. Just like they did not succeed on the speaker/boombox for audio.

 

[rumplestiltskin]

Apple TV (I mean a real TV)? Why?

What does an Apple-branded TV with the TV circuitry built in provide that -anyone's- TV connected via HDMI to a real TV box doesn't?

Regardless of the screen technology, this isn't happening. We'll sooner see a cheaper TV box.

 

[Piggie]

But Apple don't actually make anything in the 1st place.

I don't know why people here keep talking about Apple as if it's some major manufacturing company developing raw components.

That's what the people they buy the parst from are actually doing, not Apple.

Screen from Samsung, perhaps Camera from Sony, Ram from someone else.

All Apple really make is a pretty case to fit it in and the software to make it run.

 

[rovex]

Fact is - Black levels on the iPhone and iPad are inadequate. There is no other way to change this unless a swift changeover to OLED occurs.

 

[captmatt]

Apple: A day late and a dollar short

I know what you're saying--Apple is so far behind the times--just look at them making money hand over fist like other companies used to do back in the glory days before the Great Recession.

 

[cmaier]

Fact is - Black levels on the iPhone and iPad are inadequate. There is no other way to change this unless a swift changeover to OLED occurs.

inadequate for what, exactly?

 

[rovex]

inadequate for what, exactly?

Videos, picutures, general web browsing...

 

[JAT]

I really don't get why they are hamstringing this device? It's already got a decent processor and 8 GB inside, all they need to do is app enable this thing and it could change the whole market.

For example, why can't they add an alarm clock function? It turns itself on in the morning (course I have to leave the TV on, but this is solved with an integrated unit) and begins to display the local weather for the day, recent twitters, recent Facebook posts and photos, an RSS feed of top news stories and even news video from CNN or whatever. It could show me email (or even read it aloud while I am getting dressed) or even cycle through my favorite websites from a list I enter.

Turn on the bluetooth chip (already inside) and give me a keyboard (or use the remote app on my phone) and I could browse the web with it. With Airplay under iOS 5 I can stream games to it and use my idevices as a controller.

Add Hulu+ for current TV shows (especially if Apple buys them).

It already does music, movies and photos from iTunes.

All of this is possible with the current device and an OS upgrade. $99? Sold.

Optional upgrades? Sell a USB camera (with Mic) and now I can video chat and make calls from my TV (include FaceTime, Skype, Fring, Tango). Make sure those in-App time purchases work.

I wish this was my project at Apple.

Most of that is ludicrous. Leave a large TV panel on 24/7 for it to be an alarm clock? Just buy one, geez. And then you basically described a tablet as we know them today. $99 is a bit less than they will sell for in the near future, product dumping aside.

Sharp is also the king of TV sets btw. Their Elite series TV's beat out the Pioneer Kuro series plasmas.

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Uh, no. No, it didn't. Sharp is probably better than Sony at LCDs, but no LCD approaches the overall picture quality of the Kuro. That's not even physically possible. Maybe OLED could do so, if they could fix all the issues discussed here. Or SED, if it wasn't dead.

Unless you are talking about some other aspect of the TV. But PQ is #1 in my book.

 

[aohus]

Videos, picutures, general web browsing...

highly doubt anyone really cares about 'black levels' on a 3.5inch screen.

 

[ArcaneDevice]

First of all, it would be Thunderbolt, not DisplayPort. Second... you can plug in basically anything between that and HDMI so aside from being completely stupid already, your comment makes no sense anyway.

Fun fact, people can have more than one HDMI device connected at any one time.

Well those that look beyond Apple anyway.

I'm up to seven. How about you?

 

[aohus]

Uh, no. No, it didn't. Sharp is probably better than Sony at LCDs, but no LCD approaches the overall picture quality of the Kuro. That's not even physically possible. Maybe OLED could do so, if they could fix all the issues discussed here. Or SED, if it wasn't dead.

Unless you are talking about some other aspect of the TV. But PQ is #1 in my book.

PQ is #1 in my book as well, and the newly minted Sharp Elite series tests better than the Kuro elite series.

The PRO-60X5FD, a full array LED backlit LCD panel with Local Dimming Technology, produces superior blacks to the vaunted reference Pioneer Elite panels, and is definitely one of the best performing most color accurate flat panel displays available today.

Read further here. I know, I was surprised to see that an LED panel fared better than Plasma. Its also $6k

 

[JAT]

Hmm, local dimming LED. I guess that could do it, still pricey, though. I stand corrected, although reserve the right to say that review could be wrong.

True LED would be another awesome tech, if mere mortals could afford a 50" version.

 

[Icaras]

Fact is - Black levels on the iPhone and iPad are inadequate. There is no other way to change this unless a swift changeover to OLED occurs.

Videos, picutures, general web browsing...

I understand where you're coming from on a technical standpoint, but like others have pointed out here, not everyone's going to care. Actually, I'm sure less than 1% of iPhone users will actually care.

The real fact is, Apple needn't care at all. Lack of OLED, among other things (i.e: smaller screen size than many competing smart phones) didn't stop iPhone 4 and 3GS for being the top two selling phones.

 

[rovex]

I understand where you're coming from on a technical standpoint, but like others have pointed out here, not everyone's going to care. Actually, I'm sure less than 1% of iPhone users will actually care.

The real fact is, Apple needn't care at all. Lack of OLED, among other things (i.e: smaller screen size than many competing smart phones) didn't stop iPhone 4 and 3GS for being the top two selling phones.

Did I not mention the iPad as well? I'm sure less than 1% of iPad users care about the light bleed they are experiencing with their iPad 2.

The real, real fact is - apple should get their act together in fixing the light bleed issue. And that may only come with the transition to OLED technology.

What exactly do sales figures tell us? Ford sell more cars than Aston Martin, yet we both know which is the better car.

 

[Yamcha]

Yup, not the time to use OLED in mainstream technology yet imo, there are still problems that need to be resolved..

But It would be pretty awesome when it does happen, it would mean much thinner and lighter devices..

 

[JAT]

Fact is - Black levels on the iPhone and iPad are inadequate. There is no other way to change this unless a swift changeover to OLED occurs.

It's too small for that to be serious. Contrast could be an issue, but that is based on surroundings, too. Most phone usage is not in the dark where LCD contrast issues would be evident. And frankly, the iPhone screen is pretty good, as LCDs go.

 

[GregAndonian]

I was hoping for transparent [oled] minority report-style displays which can be done with OLED and not with LCD.

I don't understand this fascination a lot of people have with transparent displays. The colors and detail would be very washed out and the stuff that's happening behind the screen would be distracting. It looks cool, but I don't think there would be a lot of practical uses for it.

And besides that, if we're going to pine for this sort of thing, can we at least call it an "Avatar-style display" ? Minority Report sucked...

 

[imageWIS]

but has expressed frustration with fragmentation in the industry and the stranglehold cable companies have over the user experience with their own set-top boxes.

Apple is frustrated because cable companies have a stranglehold over user experience? Hey Apple, remind you of anything? I'll give you a hint: i O S...!

 

[diddl14]

Philips makes the crappiest displays. on that note, do they even make their own displays or do they get it from the usual crowd; Samsung/LG.

Like Apple, they get them from the usual crowd. Can't speak for the low-end sets but on the high end I can only disagree with the crappy statement.

 

[rovex]

Philips makes the crappiest displays. on that note, do they even make their own displays or do they get it from the usual crowd; Samsung/LG.

They get them from Sharp, the ones you're bigging up in this thread. You'd be best advised to do your research before making two completely false statements.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/lcd-led-lcd-tvs/1423748-philips-2011-9000-series-smart-led-tv.html

Their 21:9 cinema display is the best tv I have ever encountered, and I own a Kuro.

 

[JHankwitz]

Like, what's better?

Haha soooo Apple is avoiding OLED just like they avoid Blu-ray? I mean both are technically much better!

Yes, and BetaMax was superior to VHS, HD-DVD was superior to Blu-ray, AIFF CDs are superior to MP3 downloads, and Macs are far superior to Windowz PCs. People usually vote with their pocketbooks, placing initial cost of ownership at the top of the list. Apple's ability to get consumers to place perceived value above initial price is a great accomplishment. They're also focusing their products on what the masses will buy, not what the elete few are interested in.

 

[riverfreak]

I really don't get why they are hamstringing this device? It's already got a decent processor and 8 GB inside, all they need to do is app enable this thing and it could change the whole market.

...

I wish this was my project at Apple.

You're hired!

But seriously. Sometimes I think Apple should just license the software that is the AppleTV. Unlike most Apple products, the device itself has no value. They don't need to control the whole widget since the hardware is uninspiring.

Most 2010 and beyond so-called Smart TVs have apps or some network integration as well as routine controls for the display. Although the interfaces have gotten better, they still largely suck. I could see Apple licensing the AppleTV variant of iOS to set manufacturers. Direct integration via iOS on iPads or iPhones. It would be beautiful.