Two other iPhones will come with LCD displays

Nov 17, 2016 06:21 GMT  ·  By

There's no doubt that 2017 will be an important year for Apple and its fans, as the Cupertino-based company is trying to completely overhaul its iPhone lineup. If we are to believe the latest rumors, Apple will launch three iPhone models next year, but they will be pretty much different technologically speaking.

There's much talk regarding the addition of OLED panels into the next generation iPhone, but things aren't as simple as they might seem at first glance. Although Apple has four different display suppliers, they will not be able to meet the supply demand for OLED panels next year.

Samsung Display, LG Display, Sharp and Japan Display are working hard to invest in their OLED display lines, so that they can produce more beginning next year.

Even though Samsung is on track to be the sole supplier for the new displays in 2017, it will still not be enough “due to low yield rates,” as well as the increasing iPhone demand, Bloomberg reports.

That's the main reason Apple has decided to use OLED displays in just one of its next year's iPhones. The adoption of OLED display will be pushed by one year, but Apple hopes that it will be at least able to provide consumers with one iPhone packed with such a panel starting 2017.

According to a person familiar with Apple's plans, OLED iPhone will feature a completely new design that extends glass from the display to the phone's back and edges.

The all-glass design will still feature a Home button, which will be implemented into the edge-to-edge screen, so it won't be an actual physical button that you can press.

Samsung Display could be the sole OLED supplier in 2017

It's also worth noting that Samsung and Apple already have an agreement for the delivery of 100 million OLED panels in 2017, but that will probably barely be enough to fulfill the need for the holiday season sales.

Since Apple shipped around 75 million iPhones during the holiday season back in 2015 and is expected to ship more than 90 million this year during the same period; in 2017 demand for the iPhone could be even higher.

Even though Apple has its own strategy to partner with multiple suppliers for the same components, that might not work for OLED panels since Samsung is the only company that will be able to supply the Cupertino-based company enough displays next year.

Only in 2018 supply of OLED panels for the iPhone might become trivial, as Sharp, LG Display and Japan Display will ramp up their productions.