There has been a lot of talk that the 2017 iPhone model Apple will release will be equipped with an OLED display. So far, Apple has been said to have struck a deal with Samsung in securing their 5.8-inch OLED displays.
Aside from Samsung, there are reports that Apple is planning to buy displays from other suppliers such as LG Display, Sharp, and AU Optronics. With Apple getting busy to debut this technology on their smartphone, its supply chain is already feeling the impact for the product.
On a recent earnings call with the company behind creating the display for Apple, Applied Materials reported that they have received orders of up to four times more than what they’re used to.
The fact that the demand for this new display has grown immensely only means that various display manufacturers are rethinking their procedures on how they will produce the OLED displays needed for the lineup of Apple’s 2017 iPhone model.
During the earnings call, Applied Materials did not directly name Apple as the reason for their growing demand of OLED displays. CEO Gary Dickerson however, made sure to hint that the reason for their growth was due to the long-term, sustainable growth for the technology. Dickerson also pointed this to the “leader in terms of mobile products.”
According to Applied Materials, it usually takes them up to 9 months to build, deliver and install the machines they need to manufacture the displays. With the strong demand for their technology, display suppliers are gearing up for major changes in the next few months.
With Apple integrating OLED display onto their iPhone devices, it would eliminate the need for backlight as typically used in LCDs. As a result, Apple can greatly cut down the weight and thickness of the display on their future devices.
At the same time, OLED displays produce an improved overall experience to the user since it has a better contrast ratio, power efficiency, truer colors, faster response time, and improved viewing angles. Even though Apple won’t be releasing the 2017 iPhone model for at least a year, it’s easy to see why so many are excited to get their hands on this smartphone model.
