Apple: OLED company spotlight
OLED is a new display technology, used to create thin, power efficient and bright displays. Today OLEDs are used in mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras and even TV sets - as OLEDs are considered the best display technology ever.
Apple's OLED devices
Apple's 10th anniversary iPhone X was the company's first OLED Phone - with a 5.8" 1125x2436 (458 PPI) flexible Super AMOLED display. Since then Apple has been adding more OLED iPhones, and starting in 2021, the company's entire smartphone lineup adopts AMOLED displays.
In April 2015 Apple launched its first wearable device, the Apple Watch which used a flexible AMOLED display (made by LG Display). All Apple Watch products to date continue to use flexible AMOLED displays. OLED displays are especially suitable for wearable devices - as the displays are thinner and lighter than LCD displays, and are more power efficient (especially if you tweak the UI to suit the special OLED properties).
In 2024 Apple launched its first OLED tablets, the 2024 iPad Pro devices, There are two devices, a 11" model (1668x2420) and a 13" model (2064x2752). Both OLEDs offer 120Hz and 1600 nits peak brightness - and a tandem architecture. Apple brands these displays as Ultra Retina Tandem OLEDs.
Apple also has other OLED devices. The Vision Pro VR headset uses 1.4" 4K OLED microdisplays (produced by Sony). In 2016, the company released its MacBook Pro range of high-end laptops that had an OLED Touch Bar instead of the traditional function keys. The company's latest laptops, though, no longer uses this OLED panel.
Will Tianma exclusively supply OLED displays for Apple's next-generation HomePod device?
There is an interesting (but unverified) report out of Korea that Apple has chosen Tianma to be its exclusive OLED display supplier for a next-generation HomePod smart speaker device, the first one with a display. The OLED HomePod will be released in 2025.
Rumors about a HomePod with a display started surfacing last year, then suggesting that the display will be a 7-inch LCD, indeed supplied by Tianma. But these new rumors suggests that Apple has opted for a higher-quality LTPS AMOLED display, sized 6.7-inch.
UBI: Apple reduces its iPad AMOLED orders from Samsung and LG as demand for its tablets is low
UBI Research estimates that Apple suffers from poor demand for its iPad Pro devices, and the company has reduced its orders from LG Display and Samsung Display. We heard signs of that already back in August.
UBI estimates that LG Display's medium to large sized OLED panels shipments decreased 34% in Q3 2024, compared to the previous quarter. Samsung Display's tablet OLED panel sales dropped 38% in the quarter. Samsung however enjoyed higher sales of automotive OLEDs, which means that its entire medium-to-large sales were flat in the quarter.
Omdia updates its Apple laptop and tablet adoption forecast, with new devices arriving in 2026 - and Apple's first foldable laptop by 2028
Omdia has updated its Apple iPad and Macbook display roadmaps, with new forecasts and information about Apple's OLED adoption plans in its IT product lines.
According to Omdia, Apple's iPad Mini will get a 8.4-inch LTPS OLED display in 2026. In 2027, Apple will also introduce OLED displays in its iPad Aid models (11-inch and 13-inch). In 2028 Apple will revamp the OLED displays in its iPad Pro models, offering a tandem architecture, polarizer-free OLED design and LTPO backplanes.
DSCC: The foldable smartphone market will stagnate in 2024 and 2025, fast growth will continue in 2026
According to DSCC, the foldable smartphone display market has declined for the first time in Q3 2024, and the company sees the market entering a flat state in 2024 and 2025. The market has grown fast (at least 40% per year) since 2019, but according to DSCC it will grow only 5% in 2025 and will decline by 4% in 2025. Demand will remain stable at around 22 million units per year.
DSCC says that Samsung is seeing slower than expected demand for its Galaxy Z Flip 6 smartphone, around 10% lower than the Z Flip 5 released in 2023. Almost all of Samsung's demand is in the Korean and Europrean markets. Huawei has also placed lower than expected orders for foldable OLEDs for the second half of 2024, due to the late introduction of the Mate X6 and Pocket 3 devices compared to the 2023 launch dates. The demand for its tri-foldable Mate XT is lower than expected as well.
The US ITC decides that BOE infringes upon Samsung's OLED patent, does not ban panel imports yet
Samsung Display and BOE are fighting a legal battle in the US, as Samsung wishes to halt the import of BOE OLED displays (such as the ones used by Apple in the upcoming iPhone 4 SE smartphone, according to reports) saying that BOE infringes upon Samsung's patents. BOE, meanwhile, together with other OLED makers in China, answered with a motion of their own, to dismiss an SDC AMOLED patent.
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has now ruled that BOE indeed infringed upon Samsung's OLED patents. However the ITC rejected Samsung's request to ban the import of BOE's displays into the US. Samsung asked to re-examine the decision and the final verdict on issue will be given on March 2025.
Apple reportedly established four new display research labs in China, aiming to expand its OLED supply chain in China
According to industry reports, Apple recently established four display research labs in China, in Beijing, Shenzhen, Suzhou, and Shanghai.
Apple has reportedly formed an alliance with China's leading OLED makers, as the company gets ready to deploy OLED panels in its laptops and tablets. Apple is interested in diversifying its supply chain and not rely exclusively on Samsung Display and LG Display for its smartphone and IT AMOLED panels. The main goal of the new research labs is to test OLED panels produced by Chinese display makers, and evaluate and compare them to LG's and Samsung's OLEDs.
DSCC expects Apple's first month iPhone 16 panel shipments to be 8% higher than those of the iPhone 15
DSCC says that shipments of Apple's iPhone 16 series were 8% higher in the first month compared to the shipments of Apple''s iPhone 15 series last year. As Apple continues to target emerging markets, DSCC expects Apple to increase sales of entry level and older iPhones, including the iPhone 13, 14, and 15 series.
Interestingly, a couple of weeks ago we reported that according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo the first-week demand for Apple's new iPhones is lower than expected, with total demand of only 37 million units - lower by 13% compared to the demand for the iPhone 15 a year ago. It remains to be seen whether demand picked up later in September.
Ming-Chi Kuo says first week demand for Apple's iPhone 16 series is lower by 13% compared to the iPhone 15
A few days ago Apple announced its 2024 iPhone 16 series, with all four models (iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro max) based on OLED displays. According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo the first-week demand for Apple's new iPhones is lower than expected, with total demand of only 37 million units - lower by 13% compared to the demand for the iPhone 15 a year ago.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, who's considered very reliable, the demand for the lower-end models is actually higher than last year - by 10% for the iPhone 16 and 48% for the 16 Plus. But this is not enough to offset the drop in demand for the higher-end modes: 27% less demand for the iPhone 16 Pro and 16% for the 16 Pro Max.
Apple looks to adopt a TFT AMOLED for its future entry-level MR headset
There's an interesting report in Korea that claims that Apple is developing an entry-level MR headset, and is looking to adopt TFT based AMOLED displays, as opposed to the currently-used OLED microdisplays. It is reported that both JDI and Samsung are in talks with Apple, and have been requested to develop lower-cost TFT AMOLEDs with a pixel density of 1,500 PPI (down from 3,400 PPI high-end Sony microdisplays used in the Vision Pro).
It is understood that JDI has already developed the technology and produced 1,500 PPI samples for Apple. Interestingly it is reported that the JDI displays uses Sony's technology, although it is not stated which technology exactly. Samsung meanwhile is also developing 1,500 PPI AMOLEDs at its A2 fab. Apple's target is to release the headset at around 2026-2027 and by then it is likely that more OLED producers (such as LG Display) will develop similar displays.
Apple announces its 2024 iPhone 16 series, and the new Apple Watch Series 10, all with AMOLED displays
Yesterday Apple announced its 2024 iPhone 16 series, and its latest smartwatch devices - all based on OLED displays. We'll start with the the iPhone 16 that offers a 6.1" 2,000 nits (HBM) 1179x2556 Super Retina XDR LTPS AMOLED, while the iPhone 16 Plus offers a larger 6.7" 1290x2796 display. Both phones are based on Apple's latest 3nm A18 chipset offering improved performance and AI support.
The iPhone 16 Pro has a more advanced 6.3" 120Hz 2,000 nits (HBM) 1206x2622 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED. The 16 Pro Max offers a larger 6.9" 1320x2868 AMOLED. These new phones are based on Apple's 3 nm A18 Pro chip, offer a "huge leap in battery life", support Apple Intelligence and feature new a main camera.
