Apple's iPhone seen as tipping point for OLED dominance by 2020

AppleInsider · July 28, 2016 3:44PM

With Apple rumored to be switching to OLED screens starting with the 2017 iPhone, research firm IHS believes that product's launch will serve as a game changer for OLED technology and mobile displays.

"iPhone 7" concept via Martin Hajek.

While AMOLED displays are currently less common than competing LTPS LCD and a-Si technology, IHS Markit believes that will change by 2020, at which point it predicts OLED will be the most common smartphone display.

Last year, OLED panels represented less than 20 percent of the overall market. But by 2020, IHS believes OLED will be found in nearly 40 percent of smartphones sold.

A major factor in that trend is predicted to be Apple: The company is rumored to be working on a major redesign for its iPhone next year, featuring an OLED display with components like the speaker and FaceTime camera hidden behind it.

Apple's expected entrance into the OLED market is already having a major effect on display manufacturers, who are investing in the technology and ramping up production in apparent bids to win business for the future iPhone.

IHS, too, cited Apple in its predictions, noting that "all signs" point to future iPhones boasting OLED displays. Apple currently uses OLED in one product, the Apple Watch.

"Apple's upcoming adoption of OLED displays will be a milestone for OLED in the display industry," said David Hsieh, senior director at IHS.

To date, all iPhones have featured LCD panels, due to the technology's supply flexibility, longer product life, and superior visibility in sunlight.

With OLED technology, each individual pixel is self-lit, which means "black" (unused) pixels do not require as much power as illuminated pixels. OLED panels can also be flexible, allowing for new form factors like curved screens.

The OLED screen in the Apple Watch is paired with a dark user interface, playing a key role in giving the wearable device a full day of battery life. In Apple's upcoming iOS 10 release, there has been evidence of a secret "dark mode", suggesting that Apple could be working on a new interface for a future OLED iPhone.

cnocbui · July 28, 2016 5:42PM

And so it begins. There were no OLED screens before Apple had the great idea. OLED screens in phones only became possible because of secret research and tech developed exclusively by Apple in their labs. Samsung only thought to put OLED panels in a small number of their phones because they heard a rumour Apple were going to do so, but of course they did so in haste and without Apple's attention to detail so their screens are notably inferior to the ones Apple uses.

sockrolid · July 28, 2016 5:56PM

AppleInsider said:

"iPhone 7" concept via Martin Hajek.

Space Black DLC coating please.
Loving my Space Black Milanese Loop.

crowley · July 28, 2016 6:00PM

AppleInsider said:

To date, all iPhones have featured LCD panels, due to the technology's supply flexibility, longer product life, and superior visibility in sunlight.

I wonder what has changed.

cnocbui · July 28, 2016 6:21PM

crowley said:

AppleInsider said:

To date, all iPhones have featured LCD panels, due to the technology's supply flexibility, longer product life, and superior visibility in sunlight.

I wonder what has changed.

Thinner.

flaneur · July 28, 2016 7:18PM

crowley said:

AppleInsider said:

To date, all iPhones have featured LCD panels, due to the technology's supply flexibility, longer product life, and superior visibility in sunlight.

I wonder what has changed.

What has changed is Samsung's and LG's achievement of competence in large-scale production, not to mention the maturation of the physics of AMOLED technology.

Samsung will probably strain to produce enough for themselves plus Apple next year. LG is straining to enter the field the year after that.

The same factors affected Apple's move to larger LTPS LCD screens two years ago. It's the manufacturing ecosystem that makes the rules.

flaneur · July 28, 2016 7:24PM

cnocbui said:

And so it begins. There were no OLED screens before Apple had the great idea. OLED screens in phones only became possible because of secret research and tech developed exclusively by Apple in their labs. Samsung only thought to put OLED panels in a small number of their phones because they heard a rumour Apple were going to do so, but of course they did so in haste and without Apple's attention to detail so their screens are notably inferior to the ones Apple uses.

Very big troll fail here. We all know the history too well for this to work. What drugs are you on?

brucemc · July 28, 2016 8:26PM

flaneur said:

cnocbui said:

And so it begins. There were no OLED screens before Apple had the great idea. OLED screens in phones only became possible because of secret research and tech developed exclusively by Apple in their labs. Samsung only thought to put OLED panels in a small number of their phones because they heard a rumour Apple were going to do so, but of course they did so in haste and without Apple's attention to detail so their screens are notably inferior to the ones Apple uses.

Very big troll fail here. We all know the history too well for this to work. What drugs are you on?

Blocked that troll long ago. Hopefully more will do the same.

nolamacguy · July 28, 2016 8:55PM

cnocbui said:

And so it begins. There were no OLED screens before Apple had the great idea. OLED screens in phones only became possible because of secret research and tech developed exclusively by Apple in their labs. Samsung only thought to put OLED panels in a small number of their phones because they heard a rumour Apple were going to do so, but of course they did so in haste and without Apple's attention to detail so their screens are notably inferior to the ones Apple uses.

no matter how much it may upset you, Apple is huge. iPhone is huge. it's a giant, when it takes steps the reverberations are felt for miles. it changes industries.

crowley · July 28, 2016 9:10PM

flaneur said:

crowley said:

I wonder what has changed.

What has changed is Samsung's and LG's achievement of competence in large-scale production, not to mention the maturation of the physics of AMOLED technology.

Samsung will probably strain to produce enough for themselves plus Apple next year. LG is straining to enter the field the year after that.

The same factors affected Apple's move to larger LTPS LCD screens two years ago. It's the manufacturing ecosystem that makes the rules.

So only the first of those three factors has changed then? The product life is still shorter, and visibility in sublight is still worse? What are the advantages, apart from deeper blacks and colours that pop more?

edited July 2016

flaneur · July 28, 2016 10:12PM

crowley said:

flaneur said:

What has changed is Samsung's and LG's achievement of competence in large-scale production, not to mention the maturation of the physics of AMOLED technology.

Samsung will probably strain to produce enough for themselves plus Apple next year. LG is straining to enter the field the year after that.

The same factors affected Apple's move to larger LTPS LCD screens two years ago. It's the manufacturing ecosystem that makes the rules.

So only the first of those three factors has changed then? The product life is still shorter, and visibility in sublight is still worse? What are the advantages, apart from deeper blacks and colours that pop more?

Damned if I know. Along with what DisplayMate is saying lately about the Galaxies, I just figure that Apple has been testing them to death to ensure the tradeoffs are net gains for the user.

But then I have faith that the old-school ethics still prevail at Apple, starting with the chief metal-pusher/designer.

cnocbui · July 28, 2016 10:56PM

nolamacguy said:

cnocbui said:

And so it begins. There were no OLED screens before Apple had the great idea. OLED screens in phones only became possible because of secret research and tech developed exclusively by Apple in their labs. Samsung only thought to put OLED panels in a small number of their phones because they heard a rumour Apple were going to do so, but of course they did so in haste and without Apple's attention to detail so their screens are notably inferior to the ones Apple uses.

no matter how much it may upset you, Apple is huge. iPhone is huge. it's a giant, when it takes steps the reverberations are felt for miles. it changes industries.

Your last sentence proves my point as does the idiocy spouted by the IHS analyst. At least 300 phones have been on the market with OLED screens. All of Samsung's Galaxy products have OLED screens along with their Alpha models and even their J series, as far as I can tell. Given the number of phones Samsung sells, those would likely make up the majority of their phone sales, which means the volume of phones on the market with OLED screens may already match Apple's output, but you are saying the industry will only have been changed because Apple start using them. As I said - and so it begins - the re-writing of history. Samsung changed this aspect of the industry, not Apple.

cnocbui · July 28, 2016 11:06PM

crowley said:

flaneur said:

What has changed is Samsung's and LG's achievement of competence in large-scale production, not to mention the maturation of the physics of AMOLED technology.

Samsung will probably strain to produce enough for themselves plus Apple next year. LG is straining to enter the field the year after that.

The same factors affected Apple's move to larger LTPS LCD screens two years ago. It's the manufacturing ecosystem that makes the rules.

So only the first of those three factors has changed then? The product life is still shorter, and visibility in sublight is still worse? What are the advantages, apart from deeper blacks and colours that pop more?

I have been using an AMOLED screened phone for 6 years and can detect no deterioration, and there must have been about 6-7 generations of improvement since it was made. How long a product life do you want?

Sunlight visibility does not appear to be worse FF to 2:00:

crowley · July 28, 2016 11:25PM

cnocbui said:

crowley said:

So only the first of those three factors has changed then? The product life is still shorter, and visibility in sublight is still worse? What are the advantages, apart from deeper blacks and colours that pop more?

I have been using an AMOLED screened phone for 6 years and can detect no deterioration, and there must have been about 6-7 generations of improvement since it was made. How long a product life do you want?

I don't know, I'm just wondering what has changed. The article claimed less product life and visibility in sunlight, but didn't mention anything about any improvements.

dasanman69 · July 28, 2016 11:43PM

flaneur said:

cnocbui said:

And so it begins. There were no OLED screens before Apple had the great idea. OLED screens in phones only became possible because of secret research and tech developed exclusively by Apple in their labs. Samsung only thought to put OLED panels in a small number of their phones because they heard a rumour Apple were going to do so, but of course they did so in haste and without Apple's attention to detail so their screens are notably inferior to the ones Apple uses.

Very big troll fail here. We all know the history too well for this to work. What drugs are you on?

Who is we, and when did they appoint you to speak for them?

flaneur · July 29, 2016 1:07AM

dasanman69 said:

flaneur said:

Very big troll fail here. We all know the history too well for this to work. What drugs are you on?

Who is we, and when did they appoint you to speak for them?

"We" is those who pay attention and acknowledge the facts honestly. I wasn't necessarily speaking for you, Mr. Boldface.

dasanman69 · July 29, 2016 1:29AM

flaneur said:

dasanman69 said:

Who is we, and when did they appoint you to speak for them?

"We" is those who pay attention and acknowledge the facts honestly. I wasn't necessarily speaking for you, Mr. Boldface.

That's a very short list. Using bold is the only way I can keep the cursor from jumping into the previous post and staying there.

dasanman69 · July 29, 2016 1:43AM

crowley said:

cnocbui said:

I have been using an AMOLED screened phone for 6 years and can detect no deterioration, and there must have been about 6-7 generations of improvement since it was made. How long a product life do you want?

I don't know, I'm just wondering what has changed. The article claimed less product life and visibility in sunlight, but didn't mention anything about any improvements.

mcdave · July 29, 2016 2:13AM

MicroLED please! Oh and no counting the sub pixels twice to fake higher resolution.

Maybe Apple OLED will have all of its sub pixels unlike the current charlatan OLED.

flaneur · July 29, 2016 2:40AM

dasanman69 said:

flaneur said:

"We" is those who pay attention and acknowledge the facts honestly. I wasn't necessarily speaking for you, Mr. Boldface.

That's a very short list. Using bold is the only way I can keep the cursor from jumping into the previous post and staying there.

"To be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand.” — Hamlet.

Apologies, and congrats for finding a bold workaround.

bestkeptsecret · July 29, 2016 6:03AM

cnocbui said:

And so it begins. There were no OLED screens before Apple had the great idea. OLED screens in phones only became possible because of secret research and tech developed exclusively by Apple in their labs. Samsung only thought to put OLED panels in a small number of their phones because they heard a rumour Apple were going to do so, but of course they did so in haste and without Apple's attention to detail so their screens are notably inferior to the ones Apple uses.

cnocbui said:

nolamacguy said:

no matter how much it may upset you, Apple is huge. iPhone is huge. it's a giant, when it takes steps the reverberations are felt for miles. it changes industries.

Your last sentence proves my point as does the idiocy spouted by the IHS analyst. At least 300 phones have been on the market with OLED screens. All of Samsung's Galaxy products have OLED screens along with their Alpha models and even their J series, as far as I can tell. Given the number of phones Samsung sells, those would likely make up the majority of their phone sales, which means the volume of phones on the market with OLED screens may already match Apple's output, but you are saying the industry will only have been changed because Apple start using them. As I said - and so it begins - the re-writing of history. Samsung changed this aspect of the industry, not Apple.

Dude, quit contradicting yourself! ADHD?

Apple's iPhone seen as tipping point for OLED dominance by 2020

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