Apple is expected to launch the fourth-generation iPhone SE with an OLED display for the first time early next year, marking Apple’s adoption of OLED technology across all iPhone models.
According to Nikkei Asia, the move away from LCD displays will force Japan Display (JDI) and Sharp, two long-standing Japanese panel makers, out of Apple’s iPhone supply chain.
In 2017, Apple introduced OLED screens with the iPhone X. Since then, OLED displays have replaced LCD screens in Apple’s high-end iPhone models. This shift has significantly affected LCD suppliers. In 2015, JTI and Sharp supplied about 200 million LCD panels annually for iPhones.
However, this number will drop dramatically to about 20 million by 2023. Recently, Apple’s gradual adoption of OLED has led to Japanese LCD manufacturers introducing iPhone SE models.
JDI currently only offers small OLED displays for devices like the Apple Watch. JDI is now focusing on realizing its business strategy around LCDs for automotive applications, while Sharp is downsizing its LCD business, which was primarily for TVs.
Meanwhile, Apple has reportedly started ordering OLED displays for the upcoming iPhone SE from China’s BOE Technology Group and South Korea’s LG Display.
The fourth-generation iPhone SE is rumored to have an iPhone 14-like design, Face ID instead of Touch ID, a USB-C port, an action button, an Apple-designed 5G modem, an A18 processor, and an all-screen display. An appearance that removes the home button. The display size of the device is expected to grow from 4.7 inches to 6.06 inches, and the internal RAM will grow from 4GB to 8GB in the 2022 model due to the hardware requirements of Apple Intelligence.
Apple suppliers are expected to begin mass production of the device in October this year. The device could be launched before the Lunar New Year in January 2025. However, all three current iPhone SE models have been announced in March in the past few years, so a March 2025 launch also seems likely.
