Apple Tipped To Go “All-OLED” By 2018

While an OLED display is tipped to be coming to only one of the three iPhone’s tipped for release this year, new reports say Apple plans to be “all-OLED” by 2018.

Citing industry sources, the Nikkei Asian Review claims that “Apple is planning to use advanced organic light-emitting diode displays in all new iPhone models launched from the second half of 2018.”

If true, it’s possible that the move could see OLED cemented as the display standard for major smartphones going forward.

However, in turn, this could put further pressure on the already-thin supply chain for the component.

Now, Nikkei say that “sources in the OLED production equipment industry suggest that panel makers may not be able to produce enough to meet demand if Apple uses OLED displays in all new iPhones in 2018.”

In April, it was reported that Apple had ordered 70 million units of OLED panels from Samsung Display – who produce 95% of OLED smartphone displays. A move to purely-OLED products would likely prove hugely beneficial to the latter, even if does make future iPhones more competitive.

This, in turn, has forced Google to invest in LG directly to ensure OLED panels for its next-generation of Pixel smartphones.

Meanwhile, smaller Android players like ASUS have had their ambitions to move into the high-end of the market stifled by an inadequacy in supply of the display technology.

While Apple’s plans to open up a new OLED production plant with the now Foxconn-owned Sharp will eventually alleviate pressure on the market, the new plant isn’t expected to begin production until 2019.