Skip to main content

Report: Apple speeding up switch to new display tech, plans to release OLED iPhone in 2017

oled

According to a new report Chinese news organization Nikkei, Apple is currently planning to introduce the first iPhone with an OLED display in 2017. In the past, it has been rumored that Apple was aiming to use OLED technology by 2018 or 2019, but today’s report claims that Apple is ahead of schedule and plans to ship an OLED iPhone next year.

Apple reportedly started reaching out to display providers Samsung and LG last December to get a timeframe on increasing OLED display production and to see if it would be possible to reach production levels high enough to ship an OLED iPhone by 2017, which Reuters reported at the time. Apple is said to be near a deal with Samsung and LG upwards of $12 billion.

While it has been reported in the past that Apple would pair the launch of an iPhone with an OLED display with redesigned curved build, this report claims that since the company is looking to change displays sooner than expected, that may not happen. Apple generally only changes the design of its devices every other year, meaning that if the iPhone 7 is released this year, we’ll see a largely similar iPhone 7s next year with an unchanged design. To make up for the lack of design change, Apple often changes the components of the device, which in this case could perhaps include the display technology. This logic is somewhat complicated, however, by reports claiming the iPhone 7 will feature a design largely the same as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s.

Apple’s reasoning for attempting to speed up the process of adopting OLED iPhones is to reinvigorate sales of the device, the report claims. Many analysts are currently claiming that Apple has perhaps hit “peak iPhone,” so the the company is looking for ways to encourage people to upgrade more frequently and to switch from competing platforms.

As for the benefits of OLED displays, they can often be thinner than LCD technology and allow for deeper blacks. Apple currently uses OLED technology in the Apple Watch, which puts the deeper blacks to good use. OLED is also more power-effeicent than LCD and offers more vivid color.

This report should be taken with a grain of salt, though. The often-reliable Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI has claimed that Apple will not switch to OLED technologies until at least 2019. Nevertheless, it could very well be that Apple has expedited its rollout since that report was issued.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. viciosodiego - 8 years ago

    I herd they were developing microLED tech?
    If they can keep the battery life and pack a better display, that would be good.
    They still need to pack a bigger battery tho.

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      No, a bigger battery would not be a priority for an intelligent group of people designing a plan for future iPhones, assuming their future iPhones will gain wireless distance charging. Wireless distance charging (which could possibly come as the major feature in the iPhone 7S) will profoundly increase battery life, not by way of increased capacity, but by the nature of charging almost always, without even having to think about it. Say you’re in your home or at work, or in the car, or in several years, in any businesses, you’ll be charging, without even thinking about it, and this essentially gives an enormous boost to battery capacity.

      • Robert - 8 years ago

        The only time I have a problem with battery life is when I go on a camping trip. Wireless distance charging from home or work is not going to help me. It has limited use practicality.

      • mytawalbeh - 8 years ago

        Camping? pack all stuff you need but don’t forget power bank or even battery case.. it’s temporary
        solved

      • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

        @Robert haha a camping trip is the only time you have an issue with battery life and you want a bigger battery for that instead of other more useful features when you could and should be bringing along multiple 10,000-25,000mAH external battery packs which are extremely cheap.

  2. Martin Richards - 8 years ago

    mmmm now the question is. Is this a good move so near to the release on the iPhone 7 range. I am now thinking if this were true and the rumour progressed by the release of the 7 range this could effect sales of the new phones. this is only IMO as I myself if I knew it was happening would hold out another 12 months with my 6+ then upgrade when the new displays come out hence if a lot more people are thinking like me this would effect sales as I have said.

    #StandWithApple @Microsoft @Google @Twitter @Yahoo @WhatsApp @RepTedLieu on privacy. Add your name >>> http://1.usa.gov/1R9A4cM

  3. OLED. Good. I think.

  4. RP - 8 years ago

    I think this year’s iPhone may be a refined 6 series. The case is said to be exactly same, with minor tweaks, so maybe they are just hanging cool until next year’s iPhone when all the advanced features we have been hearing about are ready to go. Doing the best they can with the current form factor until all the pieces are in place to for the roll out. With all the rumors out there, and if it all comes to be, it would be a HUGE leap forward.

  5. Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

    hmm. So lets say the end goal is a shorter iPhone with oled, and touch ID built into the screen. I wonder what order we’ll see bits and pieces of these things line up.

    headphone jack seems first. Then only oled with 7s? I kind of thought oled and fingerprint in screen would go hand in hand but I guess oled can happen first and then that.

    Also open to the possibility that oled happening early is only possible because they plan to release a new 4″ with oled first to ramp up manufacturing for the larger iPhones later.

    • mytawalbeh - 8 years ago

      New 4″ with (OLED) ???
      Have you read any rumors about the coming 4″ iPhone ?

      • Greg Kaplan (@kaplag) - 8 years ago

        Yep and I mean a new new one. I was trying not to call it this coming 4″ a name until apple announces it but for the sake of this comment “iphone se”. That will come out and be fine but it will not have 3d-touch and not be really that interesting. Not super thin or featuring something new. Just an overall good phone but ultimately not something that will get heavy marketing. It will be like the macbook air is today. A really great computer but clearly not the future.

        My case for thinking there could be another 4″ later is the macbook. If really good sizes for laptops are 11″, 13″, and 15″ and Apple chose to make the first of their super thin future-of-laptops laptops as something on the smaller end of that spectrum I think they’d do the same with smartphones where 4″, 4.7″, and 5.5″ are the sizes.

  6. Paul Van Obberghen - 8 years ago

    I wonder why Apple is so late at delivering an iPhone with an OLED screen, while others are doing it for a couple of years at least.
    Is it because it would have been too expensive then and cut the margin too much?
    Is it because manufacturers couldn’t provide enough quantities to cover the productions of iPhone?
    Is it because the technology wasn’t mature enough for Apple to adopt it?
    All of the above?

    • o0smoothies0o - 8 years ago

      All of the above most likely. At least you’re smart enough to form a rationale as to why it took so long. Quantities are of course a big thing for iPhones because they make far more than any other smartphones by tens of millions.

    • Tom@L (@Wild_hunt_) - 8 years ago

      OLEDs will hurt apple’s margins a lot. They are not making enough money sadly to cover the R&D expenses behind OLED.

  7. “iPhone 7 is out soon and Apple devices still don’t have an IR blaster.
    The solution:
    Eyekickstarter:com

    Please, please check it out.
    We don’t have money for ads like the others.
    We have only you.”

Author

Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com