Apple is closing in on a deal with Samsung and LG Display which will see the company change the display technology used within future iPhone models. Apple’s currently utilizing the capabilities of LCD panels for all of its iPhone and iPad hardware, but all that could be about to change if the deal is actually inked. The partnership will see Apple using the OLED displays provided by the two Korean electronics giants which should hopefully provide an improved and crisper visual experience on all iPhone models from 2018.
Both LG Display and Samsung have showed significant willingness to invest heavily in building up their capabilities to mass produce OLED displays on a huge scale. That two companies are jointly investing $12.8 billion in manufacturing facilities and associated services to ensure that production of the display units is as efficient as possible with enough yield to keep up with the growing demand for OLED screens. It’s also being reported that Apple itself will provide funding to both LG Display and Samsung to assist with the development.
Interestingly, it seems that LG Display is showing slightly more commitment to the OLED drive than Samsung is. It is being suggested that the company will take the opportunity to convert existing LCD display production lines into OLED production lines. Not only will that enable it to significantly reduce costs associated with production, but will also mean that the it will be able to produce 30-percent more units than rival Samsung. That’s all well and good, but where does that leave Japan Display? the company that was reported to be in the running for Apple’s business earlier this month beating both Samsung and LG Display in taking up this big responsibility.
The move from LCD display technology to OLED displays is not one that Apple would have taken lightly. Granted, OLED displays are visually stunning and provide much sharper images and vivid colors compared to the LCD displays, but they do come with certain trade-offs. The lifespan associated with OLED displays for example is a lot shorter than an LCD display. There’s also the fact that manufacturing costs of OLED displays is a lot higher than LCD displays, which could lead to potential price hikes passed onto the consumer. However, OLED displays have proven to be much lighter on the battery, which is something Apple would be greatly interested in down the road.
By 2018, we’re likely to see iPhone 8 to come sporting the first ever OLED display in the entire iPhone range, but with 3 years in-between from now, we would advise you to take this current report with a pinch of salt.
(Via: Reuters)
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