Apple's iPhone 16 screens are ready to go, except for iPhone 16 Pro Max

iPhone 16 Pro could have a reduced camera bump thanks to new build techniques

Last updated 4 weeks ago

It's not a surprise that iPhone 16 screens are in the manufacturing pipeline already. Apple's regular partners in LG Display and Samsung are making screens for the family of devices.

BOE has reportedly been added for the non-Pro lineup, too.

But, according to a report by The Elec on Tuesday morning, Apple's approval of screens for the iPhone 16 Pro Max has not yet happened. If the report is accurate, this approval will be a bit later than historically normal for Apple's larger-format Pro Phone.

The report claims that approval is expected in the end of May for Samsung, and the middle of June for LG. BOE is not expected to participate in iPhone 16 Pro screen production at all.

OLED screens for smartphones are cut out of a larger sheet, and affixed to display electronics. It's not clear why the production line is fine now for the iPhone 16 Pro, but not the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which historically is just a larger version of the former.

There have been no rumors about the iPhone 16 Pro Max getting a dual-layer OLED, like what's used in the iPad Pro.

Both pro phones in the lineup will allegedly get a bump up in size. The iPhone 16 Pro will boast a 6.27-inch display (159.31 mm). The iPhone 16 Pro Max comes in at 6.85 inches (174.06 mm). Bezels are rumored to be thinner as well.

The iPhone 16 Pro line is also expected to have typical maximum brightness of 1,200 nits, and a peak HDR brightness of 1,600 nits.

If that rumor is taken at face value, this would mean an increase of 200 nits from the typical max brightness of the iPhone 15 Pro. The 1,600 nits for peak HDR content would match the current Pro models.

The Elec has decent hooks inside Apple's supply chain, and generally provides good information. It is less accurate when it comes to interpreting that data into concrete timetables for Apple's plans. Tuesday's report is probably accurate as it pertains to approval, but it's not clear that there will be impacts to traditional delivery times, as the original report suggests.