Apple's plan for the iPhone 19e involves a switch to LTPO for the display panel, giving the future budget model an always-on screen, if not ProMotion support.

The display is an extremely important part of mobile devices, and requires a lot of development and planning ahead of its use. Following the introduction of the iPhone 17e, we now have rumors about the display that should be used in the iPhone 19e.

Sources of ZDNet Korea say that Apple is considering adding Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide Thin-Film Transistor (LTPO TFT) OLED displays to its future budget model. Specifically, that LTPO+ will be added to the iPhone Air in the first half of 2028, as well as a folding device in the second half of the year.

The key point is that the sources also say LTPO will be applied to the rest of the iPhone lineup. With LTPO already in the standard iPhone as well as the Pro models, that leaves just the iPhone 19e as a candidate in 2028.

Apple's plan is to make all current LTPO-supporting versions cross over to LTPO+ in 2028, and it will continue to trickle down the upgrades so that LTPO is added to the e-series in that year. However, it is warned that if Apple can't get LTPO+ working on the new models in 2028, it endangers LTPO from being added to the iPhone 19e.

LTPO benefits

LTPO is an OLED backplane technology that significantly reduces power consumption, versus the current Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon (LTPS) display technology currently used in the iPhone 17e.

This reduction in power usage enables for the display to be updated in various ways. This includes extremely high-speed switching, like the 120Hz rate used by ProMotion, or as low as 1Hz for always-on displays.

In the case of the iPhone 19e, Apple would most likely use LTPO to turn the display into an always-on version. While ProMotion is a possibility, Apple could reserve the high frame rate capability for its standard and Pro models, as a way to encourage more upgrades.

While LTPO uses an oxide for switching TFTs, LTPS is still employed for the driving TFTs in a display. LTPO+ uses the oxide for both switching and driving TFTs, cutting power consumption even more.

Apple is also said to be exploring using Color Filter on Encap (CoE) technology to eliminate polarizers and to create a thinner display. Instead, the use of a color filter and a new black Pixel Delimiter (PDL), it will increase the amount of emitted light while allowing more power to be reduced.

CoE is expected to be used in Apple's foldable hardware, such as the iPhone Fold, which should arrive later in 2026.

While ZDNet is a well-known tech outlet, ZDNet Korea operates somewhat independently and is less well-known in the West. When it does crop up in rumors and leak reporting, it tends to be about supply chain and manufacturing-related stories, and its claims are plausible, but rarely backed by anything tangible.