iPhone 16 OLED Panels May Use Micro-Lens Technology to Increase Brightness/Power Efficiency

[MacRumors]

Apple is weighing up the use of micro-lens technology to maintain or increase the brightness of OLED displays on next year's iPhone 16 models while potentially reducing their power consumption, reports The Elec.

According to the Korean outlet, Apple display suppliers Samsung and LG have offered to apply micro-lens arrays (MLA) to the OLED panels, but the technology has both pros and cons that Apple needs to consider.

MLA works by using a uniform pattern of billions of lenses inside the panel that reduces internal reflections. These lenses turn the path of light reflected backwards from the inside of the panel towards the screen, which can serve either to increase perceived brightness while maintaining the same level of power consumption, or maintain brightness levels while consuming less power compared to conventional OLED panels at the same luminance.

However, while MLA straightens the path of light to increase frontal luminance, in some use cases it can also reduce side luminance, which from a user perspective narrows the display's field of view. Not only that, applying MLA to the OLED panels would increase the manufacturing cost.

Another complicating factor is that the material sets being developed by the two suppliers are different, and both are still said to fall short of Apple's standards. Apple has yet to give a final response to the MLA application proposal from the Korean companies, according to the report.

Apple's decision appears to hinge on whether the efficiency of the OLED material set can be improved upon between now and when iPhone 16 mass production begins in the second half of 2024.

If the amount of light sent to the front of the panel can be at least maintained at a reduced power consumption rate while avoiding a narrowing of the viewing angle, then MLA implementation may be considered worthwhile. However, this depends on the performance of the OLED material set, and the sets of the two domestic panel companies are said to be different.

Samsung has more experience applying MLA to OLED panels. For example, it has used the technology in some of its own Galaxy S Ultra models, and has also delivered MLA-applied OLED panels to Chinese mobile vendors such as Vivo. LG meanwhile has applied MLA to some of its larger OLED smart TVs, but has little to no experience of applying it to small and medium-sized panels, where the direction of light is adjusted differently.

Looking further ahead, a separate report in May claimed that Apple intends to mass produce more advanced microLED displays in order to lessen its reliance on Samsung and increase its own control over supply, laying the groundwork to realize its ultimate goal of bringing the next-generation technology to iPhones.

Article Link: iPhone 16 OLED Panels May Use Micro-Lens Technology to Increase Brightness/Power Efficiency

 

[Kylo83]

I wish the tech in the display got better this year, the lg g3 has mla it can get much brighter

 

[andreiru]

We need a breakthrough in the battery department.

 

[polyphenol]

"and the amount of light sent to the sides can be reduced to minimize the narrowing of the viewing angle"

Surely should say 'increased'?

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

iPhone 16 is starting to look like a bigger upgrade. The best iPhone Apple has ever worked on? 🤔

 

[JPack]

These trade offs remind me of VA vs. IPS.

Looking forward to the big update in iPhone 16 including the new 6.3/6.9-inch form factor.

 

[Ultracyclist]

Here come the ooh‘s and aah’s but wait until you see the iPhone 17!

 

[timmyh]

"and the amount of light sent to the sides can be reduced to minimize the narrowing of the viewing angle"

Surely should say 'increased'?

Thanks for pointing this out. Corrected.

 

[Kiwamu]

I'm just tired about...

[1] Yearly iteration so more ewaste is produced...
[2] That there is still not a focus about longevity despite everything going bottoms up...

Sure nobody forces an upgrade, but the smartphone business is still one with yearly iterations, unlike other tech that have a longer shelflife than a year.

 

[GuruZac]

Smartphones should go to a bi-yearly cycle but that won’t happen. There would be more meaningful changes between updates. But as it stands, I think majority of iPhone users probably are already on a 2-3 year cycle, maybe even 4 given the cost of the phones. I am on a 2 year cycle, so I actually do get very excited and do notice meaningful changes over the 2 years.

 

[Parzival]

Any chance this tech will be PWM free (finally)?

 

[jdavid_rp]

I'm just tired about...

[1] Yearly iteration so more ewaste is produced...
[2] That there is still not a focus about longevity despite everything going bottoms up...

Sure nobody forces an upgrade, but the smartphone business is still one with yearly iterations, unlike other tech that have a longer shelflife than a year.

As far as I know Apple just produces devices as needed to avoid filling warehouses, so not much eWaste there.

 

[JapanApple]

soon updated then.

 

[Kiwamu]

As far as I know Apple just produces devices as needed to avoid filling warehouses, so not much eWaste there.

Thanks for the intel, it is more the smart phone industry that chases after years iteration.

I kinda understood that chasing when the yearly gains and improvements had been tremendous as the smartphone industry was not mature at that point, but now the gains a miniscule, so I am puzzled why there still is this insitance to tell us yearly that "It's the best iPhone yet." (other than graphs going up for investors).

 

[D-a-a-n]

Thanks for the intel, it is more the smart phone industry that chases after years iteration.

I kinda understood that chasing, when the yearly gains and improvements had been tremendous as the smartphone industry was not mature at that point, but now the gains a miniscule, so I am puzzled why there still is this insitance to tell us yearly that "It's the best iPhone yet." (other than sure graphs going up to investors).

In an ideal world, they would build a modular device where you could swap out the soc or screen every 2-3 years.

 

[jdavid_rp]

Thanks for the intel, it is more the smart phone industry that chases after years iteration.

I kinda understood that chasing, when the yearly gains and improvements had been tremendous as the smartphone industry was not mature at that point, but now the gains a miniscule, so I am puzzled why there still is this insitance to tell us yearly that "It's the best iPhone yet." (other than graphs going up for investors).

It’s a couple of factors I would say. If just one company stops doing it, then customers will choose other companies’ phones as they can seem more modern (buying a 1.5yo phone vs a phone released 6 months ago, easy choice). Then you have the investors, imagine telling them you’re not gonna release a phone for another year, diminishing profits…

Honestly I think apple would be the only company that would avoid the first issue as it’s the only iOS provider, but still you have the investors and the CEO itself that also has a goal of making the most profits.

 

[crazytrain]

In an ideal world, they would build a modular device where you could swap out the soc or screen every 2-3 years.

Samsung used to do this with some of their Smart TVs but I think they had issues and it was very expensive to upgrade... Agree though, would be great if they could do something like this, but I guess waterproofing etc would be an issue...

 

[w_aldo]

I'm just tired about...

[1] Yearly iteration so more ewaste is produced...
[2] That there is still not a focus about longevity despite everything going bottoms up...

Sure nobody forces an upgrade, but the smartphone business is still one with yearly iterations, unlike other tech that have a longer shelflife than a year.

Since when do iPhones only have a shelflife of a year? They get updates for at least 5. There is absolutely 0 reason to upgrade every year, or even every 2 years for that matter. It may sound controversial but the people who upgrade every year clearly have a problem with FOMO which they need to control, an addiction to the the "latest and greatest".

I'm upgrading to the iPhone 15 Pro Max this year, from an XS Max which I've had for 5 years. The phone was built to last.

 

[Populus]

Any chance this tech will be PWM free (finally)?

As much as I wish it, I doubt it. But who knows.

 

[Kiwamu]

Since when do iPhones only have a shelflife of a year? They get updates for at least 5.

Sure nobody forces an upgrade, but the smartphone business is still one with yearly iterations, unlike other tech that have a longer shelflife than a year.

Though I am happy your are thoughtful with your upgrade and commend you for your responsiblity. Yet, I feel that you are more the exception than the rule.

 

[Wanted797]

Best hold off on the iPhone 15 guys. The 16 will be the worthy upgrade.

 

[Makosuke]

I'm not sure whether I'd actually want it or not, but to at least some people (those averse to "eavesdropping") a narrower viewing angle would actually be a plus not a minus.

Sure nobody forces an upgrade, but the smartphone business is still one with yearly iterations, unlike other tech that have a longer shelflife than a year.

Cars are about the longest-lived consumer good in the United States, and even the most regular upgraders probably buy on a 3-year lease, but they're iterated yearly. Very slightly in most cases, but every car on the market has a model year specified because of it.

Nobody in their right mind upgrades their TV every year, and most people buy one and use it for half a decade at minimum, but they're iterated yearly.

Washing machines aren't iterated every year, but that technology is basically static at this point. Phones might get there eventually, but we're a long way from that.

Manufacturers upgrade every year if the technology improves, most people will buy and use something for as long as the generation of tech they bought works and it doesn't break (I know someone still using an iPhone 6s, because he doesn't care about any of the new features) and it makes sense even from a longevity standpoint.

Think of it this way:

Let's assume that at the current rate of technological improvement most people will want to upgrade a phone when the hardware is 5 years old, and in any case because of the fundamental wear-and-tear a phone isn't likely to last more than 7 years. And let's pretend that the smartphone industry does what you seem to want and only upgrades phones every 5 years, when there's actually a big difference.

If you buy a new phone right after the old model comes out, you use it for 5 years, then get the new one. Exactly the same outcome as if there were annual iterations.

But if you happen to need a new phone when the current model is 4 years in, you just bought a phone with 4-year-old technology, and by the time it's time to buy a new one you now have a 9-year-old phone--you were stuck with an iPhone 6 instead of an Xs. You'll likely upgrade sooner instead of waiting 5 years because of the clunker you got stuck with. The same goes for everyone who buys a phone in the off-years, just to discourage the small number of aggressive updaters. If, on the other hand, there were incremental upgrades during that time, then your 5-year-old phone still has 5-year-old technology, regardless of when you happen to buy it.

Even in the case of people who do aggressively upgrade every year, it's not like their old phones go in the trash--T-Mobile is not in the business of giving you an $800 trade-in credit on a perfectly-good, 1-year-old phone that they're throwing away. Or if you sell it on the open market, the person you sell it to for $600 isn't spending that so they can throw it away next year.

The majority of old phones will stay in use as long as they have resale value, which is quite some time, and even when they don't a lot of the time they'll get handed down to someone.

 

[w_aldo]

Though I am happy your are thoughtful with your upgrade and commend you for your responsiblity. Yet, I feel that you are more the exception than the rule.

Yeah you're right, these companies which put out yearly iterations just incentivise people to upgrade way more often than they should. At the same time though, people should actually consider keeping their current phone rather than upgrading mindlessly. There are problems on both sides, from the companies making the phones and the consumers.

 

[coffeemilktea]

maintain brightness levels while consuming less power

Nothing like keeping your screen nice and bright without draining the battery (much) during those 1 AM social media scrolling sessions in bed.

 

[Kiwamu]

Yeah you're right, these companies which put out yearly iterations just incentivise people to upgrade way more often than they should. At the same time though, people should actually consider keeping their current phone rather than upgrading mindlessly. There are problems on both sides, from the companies making the phones and the consumers.

This, and yes I acknowledge it's always a game of demand and offer, though I feel that those phone upgrades are advertised very aggressively. I would contend that it might be bias on my part, but I feel Apple (and alternative competitors) rather want you to upgrade each year than not.

On Topic: If anyone is looking forward to this phone upgrade. I am happy for you!