All of Apple's OLED 'iPhone 8' models to use curved Samsung panels - report

AppleInsider

A Sunday report reaffirmed claims that next year's "iPhone 8" will come in separate OLED and LCD versions, with all of the OLED models sporting curved displays.

An 'iPhone 8' concept by Veniamin Geskin.

Apple's OLED panel orders from Samsung Display have been solely for plastic units, not glass ones, The Korea Herald said on Sunday, citing a source. The publication noted that companies typically use glass for flat panels, while plastic allows for curved screens like the one on the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.

Other iPhone models coming out next year will depend on flat LCDs from LG Display and JDI, the report said.

Samsung's curved OLED capacity is estimated between 70 to 100 million units, less than half of Apple's annual iPhone sales -- something that may support the idea OLED will be reserved for a "premium" model.

The Herald source also suggested that Apple may or may not use new technology which "enables the phone to respond when users touch any side of the device."

Past reports have indicated that Apple is working on three iPhones for next year: two LCD models sized at 4.7- and 5.5-inches, like the iPhone 7, along with a curved OLED product measuring 5.1 to 5.2 inches. One or more of the models could use edge-to-edge displays, potentially forcing Apple to embed some components like the Touch ID sensor.

longpath

Apple has always scrupulously avoided cannibalizing its own sales by carefully minimizing the overlap of their products. As a result, I find it very peculiar that Apple would take a 3 tiered approach with only the top tier having curved displays. This suggests that the middle tier would have a different form factor from the top model (instead sharing the form factor of the bottom tier), other than size, which would be a radical departure from the last several years where the middle and top tier essentially share the same form factor, and only the bottom tier uses a different, and generally older or simplified, form factor. As a result of these two established patterns of Apple management, I take such suggestions with large bags of rock salt. 

eriamjh

longpath said:

Apple has always scrupulously avoided cannibalizing its own sales by carefully minimizing the overlap of their products. 

Um... I disagree.  Both Jobs and Cook have been quoted as saying "If you don't cannibalize your own sales, someone else will."

Jobs: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/908575-one-of-job-s-business-rules-was-to-never-be-afraid

Cook: http://allthingsd.com/20130123/apple-ceo-dont-fear-cannibalization-embrace-it/

I absolutely see Apple having a super-cutting-edge Tier 0 product.  I also see an even higher-than-premium price tag to justify it.  The tagline could be You've never paid so much for a phone before.

entropys

It isn't about cannibalisation though, a concept I always thought was stupid.  After all a sale that isn't made by the other guy is a win. What is a concept is an incoherent product strategy that relegates some company products to second class for marketing reasons.  I reckon this rumour is bullshit, as the iPhone is currently the golden egg, and Cook et al seem to be very busy making sure it is the only kind of egg Apple makes. Consequently, making some eggs solid gold and some gilt seems a bit suss.  

Look at what a (non) successful strategy has been introducing a higher priced iPad Pro and relegating the other iPads to older Processors. Result is lower sales of iPads overall. Surely Cook has learned his lesson there?

entropys

Curved displays for phones will be as successful as they have been for TVs.

doozydozen

Put on your thinking caps. What use is there for wrapped display? What value is added to the user experience?

Any ideas?...

Grimzahn

 I dont see why Apple should change their way to number devices. If the media keeps talking about an iPhone 8, ppl will tie the made up exspectations to an iPhone 8 and be disapointed by 7s regardless pf specs. We have seen this before with 6s and 7.

And speaking about cureved displays. It would conflict with exsisting systemwide gestures like swipe back. protective cases will confict too. But more important. While OlED make ssense, a curved display does not. How is anyome with limited or no sight suposed to operate touchbuttons at the displayy border where is barely room for a tiny font.

guess we are at a point where avoiding news is far better then getting spammed with fake news.

doozydozen

Also, I haven't seen one decent shot at a professional mockup including both popularized rumors: curved display & integrated Touch ID.

It annoys me AI uses a mockup that depicts a different rumor all together. Confusing for the causal reader.

radarthekat

When I think of what Apple might do with that wrap around edge I think maybe a touch-bar-esque usage.  It might default to displaying a virtual bezel, and then take on certain actions depending upon application/context. Game control would be one obvious example, where all you need is a delineated area tied to some function.  It could simply be indicated with color (no text needed).  Volume up/down can be similarly depicted, even video controls. When not used for some context-specific function that area could be simply a virtual bezel that rejects touch input.  The key is to not overburden the edges by trying to display information there.  You've got a whole display for that.  

 Not sure if Sammy is doing any of this, but I'm confident Apple can do a better job utilizing that area of a display.

tjwolf

Everyone is blathering on about Apple using a curved display - but nobody gives a *reason* for why!  What, exactly, is the benefit of such a display??  Different color notifications like on the Samsung?  That's it?  That's not enough to offset the huge disadvantage of exposing more breakable material in the case of a fall.

A display with little or no bevel makes sense to me (more viewable real estate or smaller device dimensions) and so does the incorporation of je home button into the screen (same reason), but a curved display seems pointless - especially while the phone is in ones hand, when said hand would be covering that edge display.

robin huber

Not even sure the curved OLED display makes any sense on my Watch. I often trigger the icon in the lower left of my Modular watch face when grasping it (to move it out from my cuff to read it for example). My fingertip rolls up over the edge thanks to that lovely curved screen. That's endurable on a device that is seldom handled, but on an iPhone . . .?

tycho24

entropys said:

It isn't about cannibalisation though, a concept I always thought was stupid.  After all a sale that isn't made by the other guy is a win. What is a concept is an incoherent product strategy that relegates some company products to second class for marketing reasons.  I reckon this rumour is bullshit, as the iPhone is currently the golden egg, and Cook et al seem to be very busy making sure it is the only kind of egg Apple makes. Consequently, making some eggs solid gold and some gilt seems a bit suss.  

Look at what a (non) successful strategy has been introducing a higher priced iPad Pro and relegating the other iPads to older Processors. Result is lower sales of iPads overall. Surely Cook has learned his lesson there?

Some of what you say is sensical & true.
However, the iPad part is WAY off. In no world did iPad sales slip because of more options. Rather.... iPad sales peaked & were dropping quarter after quarter; Tim's gambit was to raise profits on iPads, DESPITE the decrease in sales. It worked!
Now- nobody is sure what's up for 2017, but here's what I'd like to see:
iPhone mini- exact size of SE, but with edge to edge screen, 4.5"-4.7", 3D Touch, latest processor, rounded 6/7 styling.
iPhone Air- exact size of 4.7" iPhone, but with edge to edge screen, 5"-5.2", latest processor- MAD thin!
iPhone Pro- exact size of 5.5" iPhone, but with edge to edge screen, 5.8"-6.2", latest processesor, Pencil support.
All with wireless charging.

entropys

iPad sales slipped slipped for a variety of reasons but particularly the only new models were offered at a higher price, while mid and lower range were older models. I myself try to avoid buying older tech if I can. I am sure that is true for a lot of people.

your options for new iPhoness look good to me

gilly017

entropys said:

Curved displays for phones will be as successful as they have been for TVs.

My sentiments exactly. Although I will be getting a curve LG OLED. it seems to me that the curve smartphone has not taken off. Just seems useless in particular when there is research to suggest we shouldn't be putting these things against our cheeks anyways. OLED yes. Make Siri more useful yes. Integrated services yes. Put 'select all' in the mail app yes. Keep working on the speaker volume yes. Camera yes. Tweak the apps icons (rounded squares might be due for a change). Always liked the way Pre apps looked. Curve display heck no!

paxman

Not sure there is a good technical reason for a curved iphone, but the 3 was as close as we've had and the 3 was super comfortable in the hand and pocket. More than a curved iPhone I think a bendable iPhone would be great. Not sure it would ever be possible to produce some thing that was both structurally stable and bendable, but I keep my phone in my back pocket most of the time sobI can see an obvious use. 

Even without technical driven need or motivation a design change is important just to keep current and fresh. And there is One thing I would like improved now that I think of it - I'd like the iPhone to be more comfortable in the hand. 

Soli

repressthis said:

Put on your thinking caps. What use is there for wrapped display? What value is added to the user experience?

Any ideas?…

Yes.

I believe the windshield of a car could benefit form a curved display. 

lordjohnwhorfin

The one innovation I want is wireless charging. I have no idea why anybody would want an OLED display or curved edges, that's absolutely ridiculous. OLED colors are garish, oversaturated and impossible to calibrate, I have yet to see a Samsung phone that doesn't have a hideous display. As far as a curved display, that's an even dumber idea. There have been enough curved display phones on the market using either full screen or just edge curves to understand that it's a solution in search of a problem.
Same thing exactly with curved TV screens: absolutely ridiculous. But there's always going to be some numbnuts to buy them because it's the latest thing and therefore it must be cool. People are so frickin dumb.

Soli

lordjohnwhorfin said:

OLED colors are garish, oversaturated and impossible to calibrate

You're saying this about the Apple Watch, too?

There is no absolute here. Because you've seen an oversaturated AMOLED display on a Samsung phone doesn't mean that it's a indefinite shortcoming of the technology, like with the viewing angle of a TN panel over IPS. To put another way, OLED can indeed be extremely accurate, and we've seen that on Samsung devices. What's been more of an issue for the technology is longevity of certain colored pixels and average power usage, but each generation improves.

paul turner

longpath said:

Apple has always scrupulously avoided cannibalizing its own sales by carefully minimizing the overlap of their products. As a result, I find it very peculiar that Apple would take a 3 tiered approach with only the top tier having curved displays. This suggests that the middle tier would have a different form factor from the top model (instead sharing the form factor of the bottom tier), other than size, which would be a radical departure from the last several years where the middle and top tier essentially share the same form factor, and only the bottom tier uses a different, and generally older or simplified, form factor. As a result of these two established patterns of Apple management, I take such suggestions with large bags of rock salt. 

Your comment illustrates Churchill's famous quite perfectly LOL

"When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber.”

entropys

Soli said:

repressthis said:

Put on your thinking caps. What use is there for wrapped display? What value is added to the user experience?

Any ideas?…

Yes.

I believe the windshield of a car could benefit form a curved display. 

Like a boomerang, if you throw it away it will come back.

rotateleftbyte

Soli said:

repressthis said:

Put on your thinking caps. What use is there for wrapped display? What value is added to the user experience?

Any ideas?…

Yes.

I believe the windshield of a car could benefit form a curved display. 

The problem is that all windscreens are different. Different angles, curvature.
Having one stick on screen would be virtually impossible. yes you could stick them on but could you read it? Could you touch it?
Usability is a big problem.
I've used HUD's in military aircraft and have experienced many of these issues first hand. Perhaps you could design in some nifty display mangling that would take care of the different angles and curvature for your model of car but honestly anything more than a display (i.e. output only) would be a total waste of time. The ever increasing distance the glass is from the driver makes it just impossible.  This helps in the Cd factors.