Apple’s 2017 iPhone to Get Curved OLED Display: Nikkei

Apple is rumoured to release three new iPhone models next year, reports Japanese news outlet Nikkei, citing anonymous sources. You may recall that there were hints about three models being launched this year, but with the “iPhone Pro” ultimately cut down from the list of upcoming handsets, it is unlikely to happen this year.

If we are to believe Nikkei’s sources, Apple will take a page from Samsung and will release an iPhone with curved display on both sides, similar to the Galaxy S7 edge. The 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch model will feature a flat LCD display. The rumoured third version will become the new premium model with curved OLED display, according to the report which cited David Hsieh, a senior director at market research specialist IHS DisplaySearch.

Hsieh believes Samsung will be Apple’s sole supplier of OLED displays, and projected a hard time for the South Korean supplier to meet both its own and Apple’s demand for such screens. Another analyst cited by Nikkei says Apple will likely switch to a new design: front glass cover and chassis, joined by a metal bezel, mostly in line with earlier reports.

Slowing demand for the iPhone prompted Apple to order “only” 54 million iPhone 7 and 7 Plus units, according to a source familiar with the matter. The report is somewhat in line with 30% lower orders for the new models compared to last year, as heard from supply chain sources by Digitimes. Apple is predicted to report the sale of less than 200 million iPhones for the full year, which compares to the 231 million units it has sold last year.