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Latest rumor of OLED displays in iPhones inspired by report on Foxconn display factory

There are always rumors around that Apple is planning to switch from LCD to thinner, brighter, more power-efficient OLED displays in its iPhones. The latest is a report seemingly originating on Japanese newspaper Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun cited by GforGames via a Chinese site … So take it with the usual large pinch of salt.

Bloomberg reported back in November that Foxconn was building a new $2.6B display factory whose output would be exclusively devoted to Apple. The headline was quickly changed to remove the reference to Apple, though the piece still strongly hinted at Apple being the sole client. This latest report says that the factory in question will be making only OLED displays.

It’s worth noting that, even if the factory is indeed making displays only for Apple, and even if all those displays are indeed OLED ones, that still doesn’t necessarily mean you can expect OLED displays in next year’s iPhones. Apple has already announced that the Apple Watch will use OLED displays, so it’s possible that the company is simply diversifying its supply chain for these. LG is currently slated as the primary supplier of Apple Watch displays.

While OLED has a number of advantages over LCD displays, it is more expensive to manufacture, so a switch is not one that Apple would make without a careful cost-benefit analysis.

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Comments

  1. luckydcxx - 10 years ago

    as long as the colors are accurate (unlike the current OLEDs found in most phones) then I am all for it.

  2. But OLED does make sense. It removes needing a backlight from the display to make the phone *even* thinner. Though, display technology only changes with a new chassis model, so don’t expect it until 2016 if it happens.

    • Abram Osborne - 10 years ago

      It does make sense and would look much better than a backlit display, but 2 Problems I see for consumers: 1, if you break your screen, your chances of breaking the OLED is much higher, and when it breaks, the entire display goes out. 2, the price to get it repaired is going to be outrages.

      **Owner at Gadget ER – an electronic repair store.

  3. fatsolio - 10 years ago

    Cool. If/when they do this they can act like they’re the first to offer OLED displays and all those in the media who drop to their knees over all things Apple will say the same thing and reality will be once again revised to make it seem like Apple innovated something they didn’t.

    It’d be awesome if Apple got OLED into the Macbooks in the near future as in within a couple years. An OLED retina screen would be incredible.

  4. Taste_of_Apple - 10 years ago

    Could be cool. If they improve upon what currently exists.

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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