Apple Considering Japan Display’s ‘Full Active’ LCD Displays for 2018 iPhones

With two of the 2017 iPhones already out and the third a little over a month away, the buzz is already beginning to build around what’s coming next. The latest rumor suggests that Apple could be considering advanced liquid crystal display (LCD) panels from Japan Display for its future iPhones.

Apple’s iPhone X sports OLED screen technology, which offers brighter colors and a sharper contrast than traditional LCD panels. However, high cost and supply issues are big concerns thwarting the mass appeal of the technology. Therefore, Apple seems to be interested in finding a solution that could match the quality of OLEDs but is more widely available.

According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, Apple “expressed interest” in buying Full Active panels, marketed as matching or beating aspects of OLED at a lower cost, which could be critical in keeping Apple profits high and/or end prices down.

Japan Display’s Full Active panels boast a bezel or border space of just 0.5 millimeters, compared to several millimeters on older LCDs and one millimeter on current OLED smartphone panels. Several Chinese mobile phone makers, such as Xiaomi, are already using the Full Active panel, says the chief of Japan Display’s mobile unit, Kazutaka Nagaoka.

Even though sequel models to the 2017 Apple iPhone 8 and Apple iPhone 8 Plus, (the iPhone 8s and iPhone 8s Plus respectively) are currently expected to come with OLED displays in 2018, Japan Display says that its new LCD screens can provide the advantages of an OLED panel at a lower price. Samsung currently produces the OLED displays that will be used on the iPhone X.