The rumor mill is acting up with new claims that next-gen iPhones will switch over to OLED displays.
The current word around the camp fire is that LG and Samsung Display are close to a final agreement with Apple for the screens, adding the two Korean firms plan a combined 15 trillion won ($12.8 billion) in capital expenditure to build up OLED production capacity over the next two to three years.
Last month’s claims stated that Apple planned to switch over to OLED screens for the iPhone beginning in 2018, a move that suggests that Apple would stick with LCD units for the iPhone 7 model.
On the one hand, OLED displays can be thinner than current LCD technology as well as allow for deeper blacks. OLED is also more power-efficient than LCD where the majority of the content is black, as it is with the Apple Watch, but this would not deliver much benefit in an iPhone unless Apple used a black theme for a future version of iOS.
Finally, OLED also allows more vivid colors, though this can be a mixed blessing, making photos appear over-saturated.
Unfortunately, OLED also has higher manufacturing costs, displays have a shorter lifespan and don’t match the brightness of LCD. Back in 2013, Tim Cook cited both brightness and color accuracy as drawbacks of OLED screens.
Samsung is said to be likely to get the bigger slice of the pie than LG, with Apple reportedly planning to provide both companies with funding to help with setup costs.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.