Apple's iPhone 20 could get a better screen if supplier LG Display's development of a Tandem OLED panel for the smartphone bears fruit.

The OLED screen in the iPhone is already bright and high contrast, but it can always be better. If a claim about LG's OLED plans are correct, a change could be arriving as soon as the iPhone 20.

According to industry sources of DealSite, LG Display is working on developing its Tandem OLED technology to work with a future iPhone. The company has reportedly made repeated recommendations to Apple to use Tandem OLED in the smartphone.

One insider source says that LG is aiming to supply Tandem OLED panels for iPhones to be released in 2028, which should mean the iPhone 20. They added that the decision is one that Apple has yet to make.

LG Display already makes panels using Tandem OLED, with it used by Apple in the 2024 iPad Pro.

There is a possibility of LG Display producing similar screens for a MacBook Pro, as a semi-annual company report claims it has created a 14-inch Tandem OLED panel ideal for notebook computers. However, rumors for the 2026 MacBook Pro say that OLED panels are on the way, but only from Samsung Display.

The Korean publication doesn't have as much of a track record when it comes to leaks or supply chain rumors as other publications. However, it's not the only source for the story.

In early August, another Korean outlet reported that LG Display had talked to Apple about a Simplified Tandem OLED panel in 2024.

Tandem benefits

The use of a Tandem OLED display should offer Apple multiple benefits compared to normal OLED panels.

As the name implies, a Tandem OLED panel has two OLED layers stacked on top of each other, with both used simultaneously. As OLED is a self-illuminating display tech without backlighting, the act of stacking panels increases the amount of light generated per pixel, while minimizing wastage.

For consumers, this results in being able to see a brighter image with higher contrast levels. However, there's also the benefit at more typical brightness levels of reduced per consumption.

The Simplified Tandem OLED offshoot is a similar design, but it reduces the number of subpixels being used to create each individual pixel. Specifically, one layer uses red, green, and blue subpixels for each individual pixel, while the second layer has just blue subpixels and gaps for red and green.

This second version can be brighter than a single OLED panel alone, while also being simpler and cheaper to produce than the full Tandem OLED