The iPhone SE hasn’t seen many updates from Apple recently, but there are speculations that a new iteration with major improvements—including an OLED panel—will be released early next year. If this is accurate, Apple will also be removing its Japanese display suppliers—who are experts in LCD panels—from its supply chain.
Apple will fully switch the iPhone from LCD to OLED
The revelation, which originates from Nikkei Asia, supports earlier speculation that the upcoming iPhone SE will have an OLED panel, similar to the rest of the range. Only the iPhone SE, which is still regarded as Apple’s entry-level device, is still equipped with an LCD panel.
Sharp and Japan Display (JDI) provide the LCD panels that Apple uses in the iPhone SE. Up until recently, these businesses supplied up to 70% of the iPhone display market. But when Apple switched from LCD to OLED, the business chose Chinese and South Korean vendors who were experts in this field.
The story says that Apple is already ordering OLED panels from BOE and LG for the upcoming iPhone SE, citing people with knowledge of the situation. This will signal the end of Apple’s relationship with the Japanese display vendors as well as the demise of LCD on the iPhone.
“Samsung Electronics of South Korea holds about half of the iPhone OLED display market, while LG Display has a share of about 30% and BOE around 20%. Neither JDI nor Sharp mass produces OLED displays for smartphones, and their supply of LCDs for iPhones is expected to end with the discontinuation of old SE models,” the report says.
Compared to LCD panels, OLED panels produce brighter colors and superior contrast since each pixel generates its own light.
With the release of the iPhone X in 2017, Apple began using OLED on its phones. Up until 2019, only the priciest models could use this technology. All of the iPhone 12 models released in 2020 had OLED screens. With the release of the M4 iPad Pro this year, iPads are also moving from LCD to OLED screens.