“Apple won’t embrace AMOLED display technology in the iPhone in the near future, instead opting to stick with its current LCD panels until at least 2018, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities said on Tuesday,” Neil Hughes reports for AppleInsider.
“The details from Kuo specifically dismissed recent rumors claiming that Apple could switch to an AMOLED display for its 2016 ‘iPhone 7’ upgrade,” Hughes reports. “That’s unlikely, Kuo said, as Apple’s suppliers continue to invest in advanced LCD technology likely to power iPhones for years to come.”
“Specifically, Kuo noted that Foxconn has inked a deal with the government of Henan Province, China, to build sixth-generation LTPS TFT-LCD production lines in Zhengzhou. The plant will enter mass production in 2018, and Kuo is ‘confident’ that the huge investment is for earning TFT-LCD orders for future iPhones,” Hughes reports. “In addition, Japanese supplier Minebea, which provides backlight units for Apple’s iPhone lineup, told investors earlier this month that it does not foresee risk of TFT-LCD share loss to AMOLED in the high-end smartphone market. Minebea officials believe that demand for LCD panels will remain strong in the high-end smartphone market over the next three years.”
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MacDailyNews Take: There’s a lot of life yet to be wrung out of TFT-LCDs.
When Ming-Chi Kuo speaks of materials, specs, and features to appear in future Apple products, listen.