Apple and liquid crystal display (LCD) screens are about at the end of the road, according to a report out of Tokyo.
Nikkei Asia says Apple will use organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays in all iPhone models from now on, expanding from premium phones to include cheaper SE models.
This is good news for OLED behemoths in China (BOE Technology Group) and South Korea (LG Display), says Nikkei Asia.
But it won’t be received well by Japanese LCD manufacturers JDI and Sharp, which have relied heavily on Apple, and have seen LCD business dwindle as Apple began the transition from LCD to OLED about seven years ago.
“According to multiple sources, Apple has begun placing orders for OLED displays for the upcoming iPhone SE from China’s BOE Technology Group and South Korea’s LG Display,” Nikkei Asia said.
“This change marks the end of LCDs in iPhones, with the SE model scheduled for release in the next year also featuring an OLED display, along with standard-priced iPhone models and premium Pro models.”
Around a decade ago JDI and Sharp produced nearly 200 million LCDs annually for iPhones, but that figure had dropped to around 20 million by 2023, Nikkei said.
“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%.”
Apple says OLED technology delivers “an incredibly high contrast ratio and high resolution. And with no backlight, OLED emits light through each pixel, allowing for a thinner display”.
