Apple is said to be in talks with Japanese electronics maker Sharp to create OLED displays for next-generation iPhones, with the ultimate outcome of the deal depending on Sharp's capacity to output a large amount of displays (via Bloomberg). The Osaka-based company would be one of a handful of OLED suppliers for Apple, and the deal is said to originate from the Cupertino company's "desire to increase the number of suppliers for OLED screens" for a number of future devices.

The rumor of Apple's negotiations with Sharp followed a report on Friday that said the electronics manufacturer is set to spend $570 million on OLED panel production. Sharp will use the funds to purchase equipment for OLED production in its Osaka and Mie factories, with the ultimate goal to start production "by June 2018." According to some watching the negotiations, Apple is encouraging Sharp to enter the OLED business.

spacegrayiphone

“Apple has unofficially or as a nod encouraged Sharp to go into it,” said Amir Anvarzadeh, Singapore-based head of Japanese equity sales at BGC Partners Inc., in a phone interview. “Apple’s general strategy is to increase the competition on the supply side, and dilute the risk exposure to one company.”

“This investment is in response to what Apple is doing,” said Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Ace Research Institute in Tokyo. “Production isn’t likely to begin until the second half of 2018, so the impact to profit won’t be until after that.”

Earlier in the year, Sharp was acquired by another Apple supplier, Foxconn, in a $6.2 billion takeover that saved the former company from a string of financial losses and $4.3 billion in debt, which Foxconn was reported as prepared to take on. The investment in OLED screen technology is said to be a "strategic plan" adopted from Foxconn as the two companies follow Apple into the future of iPhone manufacturing. Apple reportedly accounts for 27 percent of Sharp's revenue.

Next year's so-called "iPhone 8" is believed to come with an OLED display, along with an all-glass body, edge-to-edge, bezel-free display, and a Home button that's integrated into the screen. Since Sharp's OLED facilities are aiming for a mid-to-late 2018 output, the manufacturer will miss 2017's mega-cycle iPhone launch, however. Currently, the only supplier signed on to create OLED displays for the iPhone 8 is Samsung.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

2457282 Avatar
98 months ago
Are there no rumors related to micro LED? That is what I am hoping apple does versus oled.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smacrumon Avatar
98 months ago
Curved displays are rubbish. Check out the reflection on the edges. Distraction plus.

Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cableguy84 Avatar
98 months ago
Looks like i made the right choice waiting for the 8, or whatever it will be called
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Iconoclysm Avatar
98 months ago
I think the OLED display will be one of the best upgrades to ever happen for an iPhone. I expect them to finally bump the resolution a little higher as well (more so for the 4.7" since its not even 1080p).
OLED is not so hot, has tradeoffs that make it less appealing than even the current LCD and I expect Apple will skip it. mLED is the next step.
[doublepost=1475240714][/doublepost]
OLED is definitely the superior technology. You have to feel bad for the engineers working on lcd though. They spend so much time and energy perfecting it, and then bloop. It's gone.
No, it's really not superior but absolutely not "definitely superior".
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yanksfan114 Avatar
98 months ago
I think the OLED display will be one of the best upgrades to ever happen for an iPhone. I expect them to finally bump the resolution a little higher as well (more so for the 4.7" since its not even 1080p).
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Born Again Avatar
98 months ago
This new iPhone that has yet to exist is amazing!

So edge to edge display, no chin nor home button , OLED

Wow what does that sound like?

Oh a Samsung.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...