Tokyo: Apple Inc. plans to transition all iPhone models to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays from 2025 onwards, moving away from liquid crystal displays (LCDs), according to a report by Japan’s Nikkei newspaper. The shift, cited from unnamed sources, marks a significant change in Apple’s display strategy.
OLED displays are increasingly favored by television and smartphone manufacturers due to their superior color accuracy and contrast, which enhances the viewing experience, particularly for high-definition content.
The transition will exclude Japan’s Sharp Corp. and Japan Display Inc. from Apple’s future iPhone display supply chain. Apple has already started placing orders for OLED panels from China’s BOE Technology and South Korea’s LG Display for the upcoming iPhone SE, as reported by Nikkei.
Sharp and Japan Display, which together held a 70% share of iPhone display production about a decade ago, have recently only supplied LCDs for the iPhone SE. Neither company currently mass-produces OLED displays for smartphones, Nikkei added.
Apple introduced OLED panels with the iPhone X in 2017 and has since used OLED displays in its premium iPhone models. The company also incorporated OLED technology into the latest generation of iPad Pro models released in May.
Requests for comment from Sharp, Japan Display, and LG Display were not met with responses, and Apple did not immediately address Reuters’ inquiries.
