Oliver Haslam on April 2, 2019, 10:33 pm

Report: Apple Launching Three OLED iPhone Models Next Year With A New Smaller 5.42-Inch Screen Variant

The iPhone XR may be getting ready to gain a new OLED screen according to a new report, but not until 2020.

The iPhone XR currently uses an LCD screen in order to reduce costs, and that’s expected to be the case with the 2019 iPhone, too. However, 2020 will apparently see a move tot he improved OLED that the more costly iPhones possess.

This report comes via the reliably unreliable DigiTimes, so that should be taken into consideration here. However, assuming it’s right the 2020 iPhones will consist of screens in 5.42, 6.06, and 6.67-inch sizes. Importantly, all will be suing OLED technology, according to the report which cites sources in the Taiwanese supply chain.

For 2019, DigiTimes believes that we will see the same line configuration as we have now, which means two OLED iPhones with 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch screens, and a 6.1-inch LCD model.

Additionally, the 5.42-inch model to be released in 2020 may come with either Samsung Display’s Y-Octa or LG Display’s TOE touch technology, indicated the sources, noting that both touch solutions promises to trim down the display cost.

Y-Octa is an advanced flexible AMOLED display technology that removes the film substrate and allows the touch circuit to be directly patterned on the film’s encapsulation layer, making the display thinner, indicated the sources.

If DigiTimes and its sources are right, 2020’s smallest iPhone will use a new Samsung or LG touchscreen technology that will allow the display as a whole to be thinner than on previous iPhones.

All of this at this point is ultimately guesswork, however. It’s difficult enough to pin down what the 2019 iPhones will offer, let alone 2020. We’ll have to wait and see whether this was the correct call from DigiTimes, but for now let’s just focus on this year, shall we?

(source: DigiTimes)