Apple plans to introduce the first iPhone with an OLED display in 2017, reports Nikkei. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the outlet claims that the company has contacted LG and Samsung to discuss ramping up OLED production in time for next year’s handset launch.
If true, Apple’s move to OLED displays will occur at least a year earlier than some estimates, and two years earlier than predicted by noted analyst Ming Chi Kuo. In a November note, Kuo said that he expects Apple to continue using existing TFT-LCD panels until at least 2019.
The iPhone-maker has long shown interest in OLED (organic light emitting diode) technology. It holds several patents related to the tech, and in December a report claimed that it had opened a secret lab with at least 50 engineers working on advanced OLED and LCD projects.
It’s been rumored that Apple is interested in OLED tech to make curved iPhone displays, but Nikkei says that the accelerated development may stall those plans. It’s believed that Apple looking to launch an OLED iPhone sooner than expected to combat declining handset sales.
Source: Nikkei