Screen

Next-generation MacBook Pro could adopt brighter & sharper OLED display technology

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 2, 2016

Forget about Apple's just-refreshed MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar and Touch ID: Korean outlet ET News says the next refresh to the Pro might swap out LCD panels for the more power-efficient OLED screens not unlike AMOLED displays found on flagship Samsung smartphones and tablets.

“Apple is currently looking into ways of using OLED panels for MacBooks and testing their performance,” reads the report. In addition to power savings, an OLED screen on a future MacBook Pro could render brighter colors, provide better contrast and fast response speed whilst enabling ultra high resolutions.

Sharp exec confirms iPhone 8 will have curved OLED screen & all-glass design

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Sharp President Tai Jeng-wu—who is also a high-profile executive at Foxconn, Sharp's parent company and Apple's favorite contract manufacturer—said publicly that Apple's next iPhone will use a curved screen based on organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology akin to that on Samsung's Galaxy S7 smartphone, Nikkei reported Saturday.

As you know, Apple currently uses OLED screens on the Apple Watch and the new MacBook Pro's Touch Bar. All iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices to date have used traditional LCD screens.

Apple’s officially out of standalone display business

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Nilay Patel, Editor-in-chief of The Verge, has confirmed with Apple that the company has officially exited the standalone display business, dashing any hope that we might see a standalone Apple-branded 5K Thunderbolt Display. If you own a Thunderbolt Display, don't hope for a Retina-enabled upgrade.

Responding to Jason Snell's notes on the new MacBook Pro over at Six Colors, Patel wrote on Twitter that “Apple told me it's out of standalone display biz.”

How Micro-LEDs could allow for Apple gadgets with longer-lasting batteries & brighter screens

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 9, 2016

2017 iPhones may ditch traditional LCDs for a lot brighter, much more power-efficient OLED display technology. However, the OLED switch could be short-lived as Apple is said to be adopting emerging Micro-LED display panels. Micro-LED screens could debut on 2017 Apple Watch models.

Micro-LEDs range in size from one micron to one hundred microns. Skating to where the puck's going to be, Apple in May 2014 bought Micro-LED developer LuxVue Technology, adding their talent to to its hardware innovations team. The iPhone maker also set up an R&D center in Taiwan to research Micro-LEDs.

Here's a technology primer providing a layman's overview of the current state of Micro-LED technology and how it could benefit Apple by helping its teams engineer devices that would rock longer-lasting batteries and have significantly brighter screens.

KGI: new MacBook Pros and 13″ MacBook next week, iMacs & 5K Cinema Display in 2017

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 22, 2016

According to revered Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, Apple's media event next Thursday will serve as a launchpad for a long-awaited update to the aging MacBook Pro notebook lineup, which will see “many” noteworthy upgrades.

Apple will also announce a brand new model of the new MacBook with a screen measuring thirteen inches diagonally, Kuo wrote in a note to clients.

Some observers think this machine is actually a thirteen-inch MacBook Air with new USB-C ports. As you know, the current Retina MacBook has a 12-inch Retina display.

Next-generation iMacs, as well as a rumored 5K resolution display won't be unveiled at the event because they're apparently not ready yet.

New Apple patent would embed light sensors into the display, hints at iPhone 8 technology

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 11, 2016

The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) today awarded Apple a patent describing a process for embedding light-sensing sensors into a mobile display. The invention, titled “Electronic devices with display-integrated light sensors,” potentially paves the way for next year's iPhone.

Apple's new patent specifically mentions the ambient light and proximity sensors, which are found on the front face of the device, as being integrated into the display assembly.

According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and pundits in the know, like Daring Fireball's John Gruber, the iPhone 8—or whatever a 2017 iPhone (or Tenth Anniversary iPhone) ends up being called—should be a major design departure from prior models as it would supposedly get rid of the chin and forehead bezels by integrating Touch ID and the front-camera along with other sensors directly into the display.

Apple granted patent for a Touch ID sensor that could work through an iPhone display

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 4, 2016

If you've been waiting for the next iconic design since the release of the black-clad iPhone 5, this year's iPhone 7 probably feels like a slight disappointment. Apple is widely thought to have saved its best innovation and industrial redesign for the Tenth Anniversary iPhone next year which could embed the fingerprint sensor, FaceTime camera and sensors behind the display.

As revealed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Apple has now been granted a patent for a fingerprint-sensing technology that could work through the display itself, paving the way for an iPhone with the full-screen face design.

Apple in negotiations with Sharp to supply OLED screens for new iPhones

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 30, 2016

Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is in negotiations with Japanese consumer electronics maker Sharp to supply organic LED displays (OLED) for future iPhones. Any potential agreement is contingent upon Sharp’s production capability. The rumored discussions reportedly stem from Apple’s desire to secure multiple suppliers for organic LED screens and minimize exposure to any single supplier.

7 screen protectors for your new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

If you pre-ordered the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, or are hoping to score one in-store during launch weekend, you're going to want to start thinking about accessories. We've already recommended some good cases and Bluetooth headphones, and now it's time to talk about screen protectors.

Despite its largely familiar design, the iPhone 7 features a few tiny changes (wider earpiece, for example) that likely mean your iPhone 6 and 6s screen protectors won't fit properly. But never fear, we've rounded up some great, inexpensive options to help keep your screen scratch-free.

Apple Watch 2’s thinner screen & larger battery allegedly caught on video

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 1, 2016

Supply chain rumors have asserted that a second-generation Apple Watch 2 could offer a few additional hours of battery life while replacing the current models' Glass on Glass (G/G) touchscreen with a thinner and lighter screen based on One Glass Solution (OGS) display technology. These two features—a thinner display assembly and a bigger battery—are allegedly shown in a video posted by Byte, a UK-based retailer that sells Apple-certified accessories.

Samsung allegedly readying dual-camera Galaxy S8 with 4K screen for February 2017 unveiling

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 31, 2016

Samsung's Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, along with the recently launched Note 7, may not be enough to steal Apple's thunder as the Cupertino firm preps to unveil its next iPhone on September 7.

According to the rumors, a sophisticated dual-lens camera system is expected to give the iPhone 7 DSLR-like features with RAW camera capture, optical zoom, better lowlight photography and more.

With that in mind, little wonder that Samsung is now reportedly looking to update its flagship smartphone line with dual cameras of its own.

Report: iPhone’s switch to AMOLED short-lived as Apple looks to adopt Micro-LED screens

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 30, 2016

Apple's Tenth Anniversary iPhone due next year is widely expected to use the superior AMOLED display technology, but only for a short while as the Cupertino company looks to adopt the emerging Micro-LED screens in the long run, according to a report from Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes.

Micro-LEDs waste far less battery power compared to other commercially viable display technologies, making them ideally suited for mobile devices like iPhones and iPads. Traditional TFT LCD panels waste a lot of energy because they require a backlight.