Apple will be following companies like Samsung Electronics and LG Mobile when it comes to using display technology in its upcoming iPhones starting in 2018. As according to a report from Nikkei, Apple is reportedly planning to make a switch to OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays from the LCD (liquid crystal display) technology currently used in iPhones
The Nikkei report further adds that Apple’s move to opt for OLED will put pressure on suppliers to further improve the technology that will be required to be produced in more numbers. Though initially Apple may choose to use a mix of both and OLED and LCD until they can produce OLED panels in full capacity, says the report.
Apple currently deploys OLED technology only in the Apple Watch, which has a substantially smaller display hence the company does not require them in large numbers.
LG is planning to set up a new production line to mass produce OLED screens at its main manufacturing facility of Paju in South Korea, which is expected to be a massive investment worth ‘several hundred billion yen’. Besides, the company has also announced that it’ll be investing 7 million in a small-scale line for OLED panel production at its plant in the city of Gumi.
Hence, the Korean manufacturer is expected to supply a major portion of OLED panels produced for iPhone displays.
South Korean giants LG and Samsung both use OLED technology in their flagship devices as they offer better contrast, better color reproduction, deeper blacks and at the same time being more power efficient. Hence, OLED screens are far advanced as opposed to the conventional LCD screens that have been used in cell phones since the 1990s.
Samsung was apparently the first to use OLED screens in 2010 with its Galaxy range of smartphones, currently the only company with a reliable track record to mass-produce OLED screens for smartphones.
Though Apple is still stuck with the conventional LCD screens, which the company has been using since the first iPhone debuted in 2007. However, it seems the Cupertino giant realizes the continued advancements being made in OLED technology, as it has been researching the cost involved and picture quality of OLED screens for several years now.
