Two supply chain reports, one from an analyst and one from a purported parts supplier, make different clams about the manufacturing start date of Apple's feature-laden anniversary "iPhone 8." But there has been no serious indication thus far that Apple will stray from its typical annual September launch window.
Worried that Apple will monopolize OLED supply capacity for this year's "iPhone 8," a number of smartphone vendors are said to be racing to secure some that capacity for their own OLED products.
Foxconn-owned Sharp is reportedly planning to invest 100 billion yen, or about $864 million U.S., into setting up an OLED production line, amidst expectations that Apple's "iPhone 8" will switch from LCD display technology to OLED.
Apple's supply chain has huge expectations for the anticipated flagship 2017 iPhone, projecting as many as 70 million shipments next year for the all-new design, rumored to feature a 5.8-inch AMOLED display.
One of Apple's iPhone suppliers, Japan Display, is reportedly receiving a $636 million bailout from its biggest shareholder, the Japanese government-backed Innovation Network Corp.
A Sunday report reaffirmed claims that next year's "iPhone 8" will come in separate OLED and LCD versions, with all of the OLED models sporting curved displays.
LG Display has picked up Apple, Google, and Microsoft as some of the first customers for foldable OLED displays it plans to put into mass production in 2018, a Korean report claimed on Friday.
iPhone sales in the second half of 2017 could reach a massive 150 million units, as Apple suppliers are gearing up for a massive upgrade cycle set to outperform the iPhone 6 series, based on pent-up demand for new designs and new technology, like wireless charging.
Apple is said to be exploring more than 10 potential prototype models in anticipation of next year's 10th anniversary of the iPhone, with the company eyeing an OLED-display curved "iPhone 8" for launch in 2017.
Apple is widely expected to introduce a new premium iPhone model in 2017 featuring an all-new design and OLED display, but the screen will be sized somewhere in between the current iPhone and iPhone Plus, according to one well-connected insider.
A report late Wednesday reconfirms rumors of an OLED iPhone variant anticipated to debut in 2017, noting the advanced display technology might be limited to higher-end models as panel manufacturers currently lack the ability to handle Apple's expectedly large order volume.
With Apple apparently gearing up to launch three new iPhones next year, two-thirds of them will include dual-lens camera designs, though users who prefer the 4.7-inch form factor will reportedly be out of luck.
A new analyst report tells investors to expect both 5- and 5.8-inch curved, bezel-free iPhones in the future, after visiting production lines and suppliers in China.
An investment firm has delved deeply into Apple's most recent Securities and Exchange Commission 10-K filing, and sees purchase orders extending over one year in duration which suggests to them that Apple is in the middle of a big OLED buy from Samsung — the main supplier of the technology.
Recent reports peg Samsung as the supplier of the new MacBook Pro's OLED Touch Bar, while Apple is said to be examining the same display technology for future screens across both Mac notebooks and the iPhone.
With just a few days to go before Apple is expected to announce its next-generation MacBook Pro, photos contained in the newly released macOS 10.12.1 update appear to show the design of the new notebook, including its dynamic touch-sensitive function row.
One of the key changes to next week's anticipated MacBook Pro refresh is believed to be a new touch-sensitive OLED screen replacing the function row of keys on the keyboard. Trademark filings by Apple reveal the possible names the company could use to brand it.
On the heels of news that Sharp plans to invest more than a half-billion dollars in OLED technology, a new report reveals the company is in talks with Apple to supply OLED displays for a future iPhone, suggesting the two items are strongly correlated.
A wide array of international trademark filings allegedly connected to Apple could reveal the branding for new products and services, with possible ties to rumored features in the "iPhone 7," "AirPods" wireless headphones, and redesigned MacBook Pro.
Apple is preparing not two but three new iPhone models for 2017, the third of which will have a curved OLED screen similar to the Edge versions of Samsung's Galaxy phones, a report claimed on Monday.
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Mike Wuerthele
Roger Fingas
AppleInsider Staff
Neil Hughes
Mikey Campbell
