Tech analysts expect that Apple's upcoming anniversary edition iPhone 8 scheduled for launch next year will come with a curved OLED screen.
Curved Screen IPhone 8
Based on sourced familiar with the company's plans, The Wall Street Journal reported that, in anticipation of its iPhone 8, Apple has asked its suppliers to increase their output of OLED displays. In addition, it is also reported that Apple has asked suppliers to provide screens with higher resolutions than the handsets produced by rival South Korean company Samsung.
According to Apple Insider, Apple's high-end flagship iPhone 8 with OLED display will have its screen sized between 5.1 and 5.2 inches. The upcoming mobile device is also rumored to feature glass-backed cases and wireless charging.
Market analysts expect that Samsung will be the chief partner supplier of OLED panels to Apple, as no other display maker could provide the amount of inventory needed for the iPhone 8 launch. It is also rumored that Apple is hoping that by 2018 companies such as Japan Display, LG Display and Sharp will be able to increase their production in order to take over some of Samsung's share.
It is worth mentioning that Apple is already using OLED technology in two of its current products: the new MacBook Pro Touch Bar and the Apple Watch. For the moment, global OLED availability is limited and this situation has led to speculations claiming that Apple could struggle to meet OLED screens demand for its iPhone 8 next year.
An eventual switch to OLED will allow Apple to embed key components beneath the screen, including the FaceTime camera and Touch ID fingerprint sensor. This new design would allow the high-tech company implementing a true edge-to-edge seamless front panel into the upcoming iPhone 8. However, an all-new iPhone with OLED screen would come with a higher price tag because this technology makes displays more expensive to produce.
OLED Market
Rival smartphone makers from China's Xiaomi to Google and Samsung have already shifted from using conventional liquid-crystal displays to OLED screens because they allow for flexible designs, being lighter and thinner. A backlight component to illuminate the screen in not required in OLED screens.
Display makers could earn billions of dollars in revenue from long-term supply contracts with Apple. According to research firm IHS Markit, by 2018 the revenue in the OLED market for smartphones is expected to surpass the LCD market, to reach $18.6 billion. Compared with $10.6 billion for the OLED market, revenue in the smartphone LCD market reached $20.8 billion last year.
Currently, the market for smartphone OLED screens is dominated by Samsung Display, a unit of South Korean company Samsung Electronics. This is one of a few companies able to mass produce the displays. Apple has used Samsung as a supplier of memory chips and other components for long, but over the years Apple has diversified its screen suppliers, as the two companies compete in the global smartphone market.
For its retina displays that use LCD technology, Apple has been relying on LG Display, Japan Display and Sharp. But, when it comes to OLED investment, all these three companies are behind Samsung. This year alone, Samsung has spent close to $10 billion in research and development and to expand its OLED production, while LG Display plans to invest by 2018 only around $3 billion to expand its production of smartphone OLED screens.
