DealNTech Mobiles, PCs, and All Things Tech
This year, the Apple iPhone X was the first iPhone with an OLED-based display and arguably one of the best-looking displays ever made. Samsung made the display, and by looking at the positive market response, it may adopt OLED-based displays for its own devices, especially its foldable display smartphone.
The rumors are back, and new details of the following year’s iPhones have surfaced. Some weeks before, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that one of the 2018 models of iPhones might come with a 6.5-inch screen. Chuljoong Kim of Jefferies & Co said: “Although supplies are still tight for Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone X, it’s not too soon to start thinking about 2020”. He mentions that Apple’s next smartphone will be called “iPhone XI,” in an “S” version, with three sizes, with a massive 6.5-inch display.
According to the rumors, the alleged iPhone X1 S Plus will feature an OLED screen manufactured by LG Electronics. This deal will make Apple less reliable on the South Korean firm Samsung, the sole manufacturer of the current OLED displays. Also, this step might have been taken due to Apple’s foldable smartphone. Apple wants to keep its technology away from Samsung, which is on the verge of building a fully foldable smartphone.
Chuljoong claims it will be a boon to the supply chain for organic light emitting diode (OLED) tech for displays, including LG Electronics. He added that OLED-based will expand from the current iPhone’s 5.85 inches to the alleged iPhone XIs Plus’s 6.5 inches. According to him, this will put OLED suppliers and manufacturers under pressure. He notes some manufacturers are already “experiencing production yield issues,” and the bigger display will mean fewer finished OLEDs from a “mother glass.” He informs An iPhone X adds up to 230 panels out of a so-called “6G” glass, while a larger 6.5-inch display would yield only 180 “panels per sheet.”. According to Chuljoong, the OLED market is unlikely to see oversupply until 2019 and before 2020; he expects smartphone manufacturers to begin testing their foldable smartphones, which can fold in half like the new OPPO patent.
He speculates that 2018 will be a year of prototyping, and the full-scale commercialization of foldable smartphones is expected in 2019. This will result in manufacturing demands, which require additional investments in flexible OLEDs in 2018. Coming back to the iPhone, The Jefferies & Co. analyst said we don’t know if Apple will be retaining its naming strategy for the iPhone. If it does, the 2018 model will be named iPhone X S, the 2019 model will be called iPhone X1, and the 2020 model will be named iPhone X1 S Plus, the ultimate flexible smartphone from Apple.
In the recent events, we can be sure Apple will try its hands at the foldable smartphone tech. The Cupertino giant has never been shy to push its boundaries and likes to keep their fans guessing on their toes. But we don’t know exactly what will be the technology. There have been multiple reports, including one claiming the future iPhone would have a microLED display. Whatever it may be, a foldable iPhone is bliss.
