The rumor mill is filled to the brim about Apple's upcoming flagship smartphones, with most sources claiming that the company will be announcing three models this year.
In addition to the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, it is believed that Apple is preparing to unveil the iPhone 8, or otherwise known as the iPhone X to celebrate the smartphone's 10th anniversary, alongside them. The iPhone 8 is described in rumors as an ultra-premium device with a new design and special features, including a wraparound 5.8-inch OLED screen.
One of the most recent rumors from the Apple supply chain, however, reveals that Apple's decision to incorporate an OLED display into the iPhone 8 is only just the beginning of its plans to utilize the technology for the screens of its smartphones.
Apple Wants OLED Displays On All iPhones By 2019
According to a report by South Korea's The Bell, Apple is planning to use OLED displays on all models of the iPhone by 2019. The plan comes as a progression of Apple's plans for the iPhone 8, with 60 million units of the smartphone expected to be manufactured within the year featuring the new screen technology.
For this year's iPhones, Apple is expected to stick with LCD technology for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Meanwhile, for the OLED screens of the iPhone 8, Apple is reported to be tapping three different suppliers, with the orders for the displays to be finalized by April or May when the production of the ultra-premium smartphone begins.
However, Apple is looking to replace LCD technology in all iPhones with OLED displays two years from now. It is not yet clear, however, how many models will stick with LCD and how many will feature OLED screens.
The Significance Of The Move From LCD To OLED Screens
Compared to their LCD counterparts, OLED screens look much better, due to richer colors along with better brightness and contrast. In addition, OLED displays are more power-efficient, as while LCD screens are always on even for parts that are showing black, OLED displays are able to turn off the parts that are showing black. This could translate to longer battery life for the iPhones that will be featuring them.
The move into OLED technology will also allow Apple to eliminate one advantage that certain flagship Android-powered smartphones have over iPhones. Samsung, in particular, has been using OLED screens for its flagship devices, with the first Galaxy S smartphone already coming with a Super AMOLED display.
iPhone 8 Rumors Continue
The shift into OLED screens is just one of the many rumors surrounding the iPhone 8, the hype for which has sent Apple shares to an all-time high.
It has also been reported that the size of the OLED display for the iPhone 8 is 5.8 inches, which would be the biggest screen ever on an iPhone. However, this does not mean that the physical size of the smartphone will become bigger, as it is widely expected that Apple will also ditch the physical Home button and replace it with a virtual one on the screen, leading to less space taken up by bezels and keeping the size of the device in line with previous iPhone models.
With the physical Home button to be removed, it has also been rumored that the Touch ID feature for the iPhone 8 will be replaced by facial recognition.
