Apple Wants OLED in iPhones, But Most Suppliers Aren't Ready Yet

For a couple of years now, Samsung has had the edge of using AMOLED in its display screens on their high-end models like the Note and the S-series. Now it seems Apple will enter into the foray and want the OLED display on their new models.

OLED, which stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode is the backbone of the AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) screens found in most medium to high-priced Samsung smartphones. These two components have been responsible for less power consumption and the noticeably vibrant colors and deeper blacks on the display of smartphones using them. Meanwhile, Apple was stuck with the power-sapping LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) with a comparatively lower picture quality. However, that's about to change, but only if suppliers can catch up with the demand, according to Bloomberg.

OLED screens are difficult to produce and currently, the four producers capable of mass-production are Samsung Display Co., LG Display Co., Sharp Display Corp., and Japan Display Inc. Samsung and LG have their own smartphone models to contend with and Apple's main supplier, Japan Display Inc., has been hit by weak demand from Apple and battered by a stronger Yen. It had lost about $115 million in the April-June quarter and turned to its top shareholder, the government-backed Innovation Network Corp. of Japan for support, The Wall Street Journal Reported.

Apple's ambitious project for the next generation of iPhone models have been kept a secret but it's generally thought the new models will have an all-glass display extending to the back and a virtual home button, hence the need for an OLED display. However, if plans do not push through, Apple may have to contend with limited-edition OLED models and produce the rest with the older LCD screens given the supply constraints it is facing.