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.
Apple supplier Japan Display is on the verge of finalizing a $729 million bailout after renegotiating its debts.
Apple has agreed to wait for money owed after it fronted the cost of a new Japan Display plant four years ago. Another client has agreed to halve the “pace of repayment,” according to reports.
Apple is expected to eliminate 3D Touch this year, favoring Haptic Touch instead for the 2019 iPhone lineup.
The pressure-sensitive technology was introduced just under four years ago with the iPhone 6s. But the iPhone XR has since proven that it isn’t completely necessary to enjoy 3D Touch features.
Samsung will be at least one of the suppliers for future MacBook Pro and iPad Pro upgrades with OLED displays, according to a new report.
The South Korean company, which already supplies OLED screens for the iPhone, has reportedly provided Apple with sample panels ahead of big product refreshes — but there’s no word on when we’ll see them.
This year’s iPhone refresh may bring more than just a spec bump.
A new report claims Apple’s flagship devices will get even bigger to accommodate an additional camera sensor and the largest lenses ever in an iPhone. They may also be ever so slightly thicker than their predecessors.
Apple is preparing an entry-level “iPhone XE” that will be introduced this fall, according to a sketchy new report.
The device is claimed to be an iPhone SE successor with huge improvements, including an edge-to-edge display and Face ID. It could also pack Apple’s latest A12 Bionic processor.
