iPhone supplier Japan Display has come up with a plan to battle the increasing popularity of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel manufacturing, without needing to delve into the costly practice of creating OLED panels itself. According to a new report by The Wall Street Journal, the supplier has figured out a way to manufacture flexible liquid crystal display (LCD) panels using technology and processes it already has at its disposal.

Set to begin mass production in 2018, Japan Display's flexible LCD panels are said to be built with a layer of plastic instead of glass. "While not as flexible as OLED," the company's chief operating officer, Shuji Aruga, mentioned that the panels are bendable enough to manufacture smartphones with the same screen design as Samsung's Galaxy Edge series.

galaxys7edge
According to people familiar with the matter, Apple has already begun looking at the flexible LCD panels for iPhone models launching in 2018 and beyond.

Japan Display officials said some smartphone makers, which they declined to name, have agreed to adopt the bendable LCD in the next few years. The company also hopes to sell the displays for other uses such as laptop computers and car dashboards.

“Mass production is planned from 2018, and we wouldn’t do that without demand from our clients,” said Mr. Aruga. Japan Display’s major clients, according to its financial statements, include Apple and Huawei Technologies Co.

Bendable displays could help revive growth in a smartphone market that is beginning to get saturated. People familiar with the matter have said Apple is looking at the displays for possible future iPhone models.

In addition to its plan to adapt LCD screens into flexible panels, Japan Display has previously acknowledged interest in OLED production, stating in late 2015 a goal to begin mass production of OLED panels by the spring of 2018. Last November, the supplier was said to be in "advanced talks" with the government-backed fund Innovation Network Corp. of Japan to receive around ¥75 billion ($662 million) in financing.

The bailout was said to be both for improving Japan Display's LCD technology, and potentially mass-producing its own OLED panels. Still, analysts looking at the move think that Japan Display "may not have the funds to pursue both technologies," so it's unclear at this point which panel technology the supplier will ultimately decide to stick with in the future.

For Apple, it's been long-rumored that at least one model of the 2017 iPhone 8 will come with an OLED screen -- supplied by Samsung -- which typically have sharper color contrast and brighter colors compared to LCD screens. Japan Display's domestic rival Sharp is currently expected to provide Apple with OLED panels as well, but not until mid-2018.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

decimortis Avatar
110 months ago
I didn't think the primary benefit of OLED was its flexibility. I'd always thought it was its superior contrast levels and energy usage that put it above LCD. Am I wrong in thinking this?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
billybobthornton Avatar
110 months ago
"What is everyone else doing? Ok let's do that!"
- Tim Cook
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mactactic Avatar
110 months ago
Apple has to fall again , before they
Fire Tim Cook !!!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JM Avatar
110 months ago
Yes, because plastic screens are the way to go. Glass just doesn't get enough scratches for my tastes.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Avieshek Avatar
110 months ago
Really, Apple wouldn't learn it's lesson until Apple have it's Doomsday once-and-for-all.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sevanw Avatar
110 months ago
Lol, when you're only option is to wait on other people's innovations before you can go ahead with your own designs, you'll never be a leader. This is no longer the early era of smartphones. A time where Apple dominated form and function.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leaked

Thursday July 3, 2025 5:40 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the biggest ever battery in an iPhone, according to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post, the leaker listed the battery capacities of the iPhone 11 Pro Max through to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a battery capacity of 5,000mAh: iPhone 11 Pro Max: 3,969mAh iPhone 12 Pro Max: 3,687mAh...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
airpods pro 2

AirPods Pro 3 to Help Maintain Apple's Place in Earbud Market Amid Increasing Low-Cost Competition

Thursday July 3, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple's position as the dominant force in the global true wireless stereo (TWS) earbud market is expected to continue through 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. The forecast outlines a 3% year-over-year increase in global TWS unit shipments for 2025, signaling a transition from rapid growth to a more mature phase for the category. While Apple is set to remain the leading brand by...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...