Struggling Apple display maker Japan Display is trying to reconfigure its business to develop OLED displays, instead of LCD ones. However, according to CEO Winston, it’s going to take at least two years until they’re ready.
The displays will reportedly be manufactured at Japan Display’s Hakusan plant in Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture.
Apple is said to be “aggressively testing” OLED screens from other suppliers ahead of a 2020 iPhone refresh.
Cupertino reportedly wants to diversify its supply chain next year. It currently relies heavily on Samsung for OLED panels, with LG Display making only small contributions for the iPhone XS lineup.
Struggling Apple display-maker Japan Display posted its largest-ever quarterly net loss Friday. The company lost 83.2 billion yen ($786 million) during Q2 2019.
That’s a whole lot worse than the 1.7 billion yen it lost this time last year.
Apple Watch is expected to come with brand new display technology as soon as next year, according to a new report.
Apple is said to be in advanced talks with display makers over bringing microLED screens to its popular wearable. One advantage of the switch will be longer battery life in between charges.
The 2020 iPhone lineup could bring a huge display upgrade that will put it on par with iPad Pro in terms of refresh rate.
One leaker says Apple is “considering” 120Hz panels for next year’s handsets. It would be the first time its ProMotion technology has graced an OLED screen since its debut in 2017.
Apple could team up with a new OLED display-maker ahead of this year’s iPhone refresh. The move may mean that Samsung plays a smaller part in future iPhone production.
Industry sources have also reignited rumors that none of Apple’s next-generation handsets will offer 3D Touch.
Apple paid Samsung 800 billion won ($683 million) during the second quarter of the year. The payments covered the cost of display panels after Apple missed a sales target both companies had agreed on.
The cash influx represents a rare bright spot during a three-month period in which Samsung’s profits are forecast to plunge an overall 56%.
Weak iPhone sales over the last two years could cause Apple to bring OLED displays to the iPad or MacBooks a bit earlier than expect.
Apple owes Samsung Display hundreds of millions of dollars because it agreed to purchase a certain amount of OLED displays per year. With iPhone sales in a slump, Apple hasn’t bought as many OLEDs as it promised but the two sides are reportedly discussing alternative solutions other than sending a giant pile of cash to Samsung.
The 2019 iPhone lineup hasn’t even been revealed yet but we might already know what next year’s iPhones will look like too.
Recent rumors have claimed that Apple will come out with new screen sizes for the 2020 iPhone lineup. The biggest iPhone will get a bit bigger while the smallest will get a little bit smaller. To see how that would look, Ben Geskin created a mockup of the upcoming devices, and they look fantastic.
Check out the size comparison with the current iPhones:
Struggling Apple display maker Japan Display has received some bad news. TPK Holdings, a panel maker that also works with Apple, revealed that it won’t invest a proposed $230 million after all.
Japan Display has been on the search for companies willing to throw it a lifeline. TPK was part of a hoped-for $723 million bailout.
