OLED Supplier Sees Fourfold Leap in Orders as Apple Gears Up for 2017 iPhone

[BaltimoreMediaBlog]

So basically the iPhone 7 is going to suck

The main reason Apple is interested in OLED is that to the Steve Jobs mentality that runs Apple still and ingrained in the company, a low life span (probably a year to 2 in heavy use at most) would be termed by Jobs as a FEATURE!

OLED has more frequent upgrade potential just like Steve Jobs Throwaway rental BMWs.

 

[Soccertess]

wow, Don't think i'll wait till 2017.. And I think the 6S form factor is ridiculous! I don't know any other phone with such a massive benzel.

by that time 2017 roles, I probably will have acquired a new shiny Android! Tim, your customers aren't lemmings! We will walk if you don't perform (which you haven't in years!)

 

[Blaze4G]

How has Samsung's AMOLED panels changed since the Samsung Galaxy Nexus? I had that phone (still have it actually), and I would say that my iphone's panels have been better (even all the way back to my iphone 5). The Galaxy Nexus Panel was way over-saturated, and developed a blue hue over time.

I think the main advance here would be to make the edges curve around, eliminated bezels, etc. But as far as the viewing experience itself, you are highly unlikely to notice any significant difference between the current iphones, and the next gen SAMOLEDs.

If anyone using the iPhone 6/ 6s really looking at their panel and thinking the viewing experience is junk compared to an S7?

You do realize the Galaxy Nexus is 5 years old while the iPhone 5 is 3 year old right? Would it be a fair fight if I compare the Cameras / display from the S7 and iphone 5s? To answer your question the change from 2011 AMOLED panels compared to 2016 panels has been drastic.
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Yes, this. Why is it better? Because Samsung did it?

So why isn't it better? I think it is obvious it is better if Apple is switching to OLED. Why would they switch if it is not better?

 

[a.gomez]

Has Samsung already used OLED for its Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge?
I think it's AMOLED but not sure whether they're the same or not.

Oled is the organic light emitting diode - Amoled is what you make from it. It is basically what Samsung has been using for years now.

 

[brianvictor7]

Well, a June 2017 release of a new iPhone design with a great new display would be perfect timing for Apple after Tim & Co walk down iPhone memory lane at the beginning of the presentation. Imagine the crowd watching clips of the various iPhone introductions including those by Steve, including the landmark first one in 2007. Then Tim says now it's time to introduce a new redesigned iPhone which Steve would be proud of...

You know, you just might be on target with this prediction. Can't wait to see.

 

[citysnaps]

Regarding the iPhone 7, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple uses the same LCD tech they used in the 9.7" iPad Pro. It is that good, and is what I'm hoping to see in the next iPhone, as I have mentioned in past threads.

In fact, after review, DisplayMate said:

"An Outstanding LCD Display
The display on the iPad Pro 9.7 is a Truly Impressive Top Performing Display and a major upgrade to the display on the iPad Air 2. It is by far the best performing mobile LCD display that we have ever tested, and it breaks many display performance records."

 

[AFDoc]

The headlines keep saying "2017 iPhone" rather than "2017 iPhones" because only the bigger model gets all the goodies

Yes! I love that it does..one because I buy that bigger phone and two because all those that don't get all upset about it!

I really don't have a preference what the screen is as long as it looks good and the phone does what I want it to do. Some say OLED is good some say it's crap..... I have an LG OLED tv and it looks great so we'll see.

 

[uid15]

The number of Android fanboys who read Macrumors every day astounds me.

The number of people who have the word "fanboy" immediately to hand and at the front of their minds, to issue on a whim at any time of day or night, astounds me MORE. I am not sure which is more worrysome; the over-obsession and defence of a product or company, or the over-use of the word "fanboy"... how old are we?

 

[brianvictor7]

As Apple gears up to introduce OLED displays in the 2017 iPhone, the impact is already being felt in the company's supply chain. During a recent earnings call, Applied Materials, a company that creates equipment for making displays, reported a fourfold increase in orders.

According to Bloomberg, the growing demand for new display manufacturing equipment from Applied Materials serves as evidence that display makers are retooling their processes to produce OLED displays for Apple's line of iPhones in 2017.

Edge-to-edge iPhone concept image via ConceptsiPhone​

Applied Materials executives did not mention Apple by name during the earnings call, but CEO Gary Dickerson dropped some hints in a statement given to Bloomberg, pointing towards long term, sustainable growth and naming the "leader" of mobile products.Applied Materials says it takes as long as three quarters to build, deliver, and install its machines, so a ramp up in purchases now means display suppliers are preparing to make some major changes in the coming months.

There are a wealth of rumors suggesting Apple will debut OLED displays in the 2017 iPhone. Apple has already inked a deal with Samsung to secure 5.8-inch OLED displays for future iPhones, and the company may also be preparing to purchase displays from suppliers like AU Optronics, LG Display, and Sharp. Apple is the largest customer for Sharp, LG Display, and Samsung, and all three companies have ramped up display spending in recent months, according to Bloomberg.

An OLED display would eliminate the need for the backlighting that's used in traditional LCDs, allowing Apple to cut down on the thickness and weight of the display used in the iPhone 7. OLED displays also offer better contrast ratio, truer colors, improved viewing angles, better power efficiency to maximize battery life, and a faster response time than an LCD for faster refresh rates.

While the 2017 iPhone is more than a year away, there have already been dozens of rumors about the device due to the significant changes Apple is planning to introduce. Some of the features rumored for the 2017 iPhone (perhaps called the "iPhone 8") include wireless charging, an edge-to-edge bezel-free display with an integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor, a glass body, and more advanced biometric features.

Article Link: OLED Supplier Sees Fourfold Leap in Orders as Apple Gears Up for 2017 iPhone

And this is the point that I decided to definitely wait till 2017 to buy a new iPhone. Good thing that my stalwart 5S is going strong.
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The number of people who have the word "fanboy" immediately to hand and at the front of their minds, to issue on a whim at any time of day or night, astounds me MORE. I am not sure which is more worrysome; the over-obsession and defence of a product or company, or the over-use of the word "fanboy"... how old are we?

A very good question.

 

[ColdShadow]

Apple switching to OLED screens has been one of the rare exciting news I read recently.
definitely the right direction.let LCD die.

 

[KopThat]

with these rumours circulating a lot of people will give the 7 the flick.

It's a shame my 2 year upgrade is gonna be for the 7. I will think seriously about upgrading.

 

[alexandr]

these news are depressing. so the iPhone 7 will really be an iPhone 6ss? i didn't get the 6s because the improvements over the 6 were so minuscule. the only other model i skipped was the 3gs - for the same reason. so now the battery in my 6 is turning to **** and i have to wait until 2017 to get something that is actually different and potentially good?

apple, for what it's worth, please don't let these rumors turn into reality...

 

[krell100]

Wow an updated phone with an OLED screen... I'm so excited.

 

[iMas70]

So much talk about 2017 iPhones but hardly anything about this year's model. It seems like that's going to seriously hurt sales because a lot of people will wait for the better model.

 

[JoEw]

Dont say that, there are many technology/stock/business/etc analysts here in MacRumors.

I wouldn't doubt it

 

[Analog Kid]

OLED displays also offer better contrast ratio, truer colors, improved viewing angles, better power efficiency to maximize battery life, and a faster response time than an LCD for faster refresh rates.

Most of these metrics still hold true to today's panels.

To each his own I guess. I'm not here to argue. A citation was requested and I provided two. The cnet article is about a year old as well. Much changes in a year, I know, but when talking about color contrasts and true blacks I don't think that's really even arguable when comparing iPhones to competing products. Just about the only thing I've noticed a large improvement on with Apple is viewing angles. But that is all subjective.

All that said, I'm mainly an iPhone user, but I try to call things like I see them. I think the iPhone McDonald's panel is great but could be greater.

I'm not trying to be combative here, but I feel like people aren't looking at the references they're quoting. You're right, I asked for a citation supporting the MacRumors assertions I quoted about the benefits of the OLED over LCD.

The CNET article you cite says that LCD televisions outperform OLED on truer colors, brightness, power efficiency, and refresh rates-- contradicting 3 of the 5 claims. OLED does better on contrast in an unlit room and viewing angle. The 4K article gets squishy on color-- so I'd call that a subjective measure.

The DisplayMate references from @falainber measure the latest tech from the two camps of mobile device makers and it directly contradicts the MR article on virtually all points. Contrast of the latest Samsung is measured as only 60% of the iPad in ambient light, and while brightness of OLED is less affected by viewing angle, the color accuracy is worse.

Of the 5 claims MR made, 3 are directly contradicted by CNET and DisplayMate, and the other two depend on use case. My point is simply that it's bad practice for voices of authority to parrot dubious information. If they want to only highlight the positives of OLED, that's fine, getting people excited about new products is part of the MR model-- but stick to the facts and support them with references where possible: OLED is thinner, more flexible and doesn't lose as much brightness when viewed off axis and give you nearly as good an image. Yay!

 

[JoEw]

Are you an engineer who frequently repairs all manner of electronic devices, including iPhones?

I am an engineer who knows how OLED display technology works, as well as variable refresh rates and how fast light diodes must turn on and off for the human eye to see...

 

[thelonelylimo]

Cook and Ive ran it through a wood chipper.

*removed*

 

[ZZ9pluralZalpha]

If I knew they were changing to OLED in 2017, I'd buy the iPhone 7 and use it till it fell apart.

EDIT: Snark deleted because I can't read

 

[lordofthereef]

I'm not trying to be combative here, but I feel like people aren't looking at the references they're quoting. You're right, I asked for a citation supporting the MacRumors assertions I quoted about the benefits of the OLED over LCD.

The CNET article you cite says that LCD televisions outperform OLED on truer colors, brightness, power efficiency, and refresh rates-- contradicting 3 of the 5 claims. OLED does better on contrast in an unlit room and viewing angle. The 4K article gets squishy on color-- so I'd call that a subjective measure.

The DisplayMate references from @falainber measure the latest tech from the two camps of mobile device makers and it directly contradicts the MR article on virtually all points. Contrast of the latest Samsung is measured as only 60% of the iPad in ambient light, and while brightness of OLED is less affected by viewing angle, the color accuracy is worse.

Of the 5 claims MR made, 3 are directly contradicted by CNET and DisplayMate, and the other two depend on use case. My point is simply that it's bad practice for voices of authority to parrot dubious information. If they want to only highlight the positives of OLED, that's fine, getting people excited about new products is part of the MR model-- but stick to the facts and support them with references where possible: OLED is thinner, more flexible and doesn't lose as much brightness when viewed off axis and give you nearly as good an image. Yay!

I did read them. And I wasn't posting anything to go for or against anything MR said. I was simply providing as credible a link as I could find that shows comparisons. I'm not even here to argue which is better then the other because, as I think I've said every time, there are many subjective aspects to what makes each better. I guess you asked for a citation and assumed it was to back up MR claims; I could have been more clear on this.

I simply don't find contrast and blacks to be a very arguable point on either side though. That's something that has "always" been superior, at least to my eye. I also believe I mentioned that viewing angles seem phenomenal on the 6 series devices, just as good as any OLED I've seen.

Suffice it to say that if these rumors are true, Apple is moving to OLED for a reason. It remains to be seen if this move Halle s and exactly how it will look.

I think the reality is that you're not convinced. That's fine. It's unlikely I will find some sort of citable source that does strict testing on all of these technologies in order to prove or negate any points being made. This once again brings us back to many of these points being subjective to begin with.

At the end of the day buy what you think is better (and of course is available). Right now Apple only gives us aka ad and, frankly, it's difficult to even compare an Apple display to a Galaxy display (or pick your poison for device) because there are so many other variables at play that we can't really know whether the display itself is the actually deciding factor or bottleneck.

 

[Millah]

THANK YOU!!!

Thought I was going insane. Can't believe how many people were going gaga over this ridiculous concept the last time it popped up on an article.

People are extremely fickle and superficial. They just want things because they think it sounds cool and "innovative." They have an insatiable appetite for "new" and "shinyitis." Hence all the criticizing about this years rumored iPhone, and how "boring" it sounds because it's not changing industrial design simply for the sake of change.

I respect Apples restraint/caution in jumping on bandwagons, and their careful thinking when it comes to product development. The current iPhone industrial design is great (IMO), with the current form factor constraints. I see no need to alter it just for the sake of change. However, if they develop some technological advancements in terms of form factor, then obviously the industrial design should change to align with those advancements.

Apple doesn't just change appearances for the hell of it. MacBook Pro being the perfect example. I'm more concerned with functionality and features. I want some rich new features and new technology from the next iPhone. Dual lense camera with DSLR quality photos sounds like a great new feature to me, and I'm sure there will be more to it. What's up with their Primesense acquisition? Seems like the perfect opportunity, using dual lenses, to make use of that technology. There's so much more Apple can do to advance the iPhone beyond industrial design.

 

[8692574]

The headlines keep saying "2017 iPhone" rather than "2017 iPhones" because only the bigger model gets all the goodies

They are just following the guidelines..layup can't say iPhones...Apple said so!

 

[Analog Kid]

Suffice it to say that if these rumors are true, Apple is moving to OLED for a reason.

On this, we agree. (I actually don't think we disagree elsewhere...)

If this is true, it's because Apple sees good reason to make the change, and they're pretty conservative in ensuring there's a customer benefit when they do. Not everybody agrees with Apple's priorities, but they basically make three versions of a product that has to address a market of millions so it can't be the perfect fit for everyone.

 

[BvizioN]

Wow, sales of the iphone 7 are going to be really bad.

That is my first thought, but then I realize that not the entire world is following tech rumors and they tend to do what they usually do..... buy a new iPhone when a new iPhone is released. Period. And they are hundreds of millions.

 

[Blaze4G]

That is my first thought, but then I realize that not the entire world is following tech rumors and they tend to do what they usually do..... buy a new iPhone when a new iPhone is released. Period. And they are hundreds of millions.

I agree with this 100%. It will be a new iPhone, general consumers will listen to the marketing team saying it has a better camera, 20% faster, 15% better battery life, etc. Not truly realising that there is little difference between it and the 6s.