We’re now beginning to get fairly common updates on the iPhone 16 coming later this 12 months, however once in a while the rumorsphere spits out one thing regarding a later era. Akin to this week’s information that Apple plans to improve display tech throughout all the iPhone 17 vary subsequent 12 months.
In the mean time, Apple’s iPhones use a combination of OLED show varieties: LTPO (or low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) on the Professional fashions, and LTPS (low-temperature polycrystalline silicon) on the remainder. LTPO is a extra superior and general more sensible choice due to its capability to dynamically regulate refresh fee relying on what’s being proven on the display and consequently decrease energy consumption. In different phrases, LTPO is carefully associated to Apple’s ProMotion tech, which may regulate refresh fee of Professional-class iPhones all the way in which as much as 120Hz with out killing the battery.
Maybe extra importantly for customers, LPTO additionally lets Apple dial the refresh fee all the way in which right down to 1Hz to allow its always-on function that allows you to see the time and widgets with out killing the battery. Apple launched always-on with the iPhone 15 however to this point has stored it as a function of the Professional telephones. LPTO tech will open the door for Apple to carry it to the cheaper iPhones as properly, very similar to the Dynamic Island with teh iPhone 15.
Limiting a significant function to the dearer fashions in a variety is sensible commercially, because it pushes prospects into spending more cash. (We’ve written earlier than on the upsell technique that Apple has been leaning into for the previous few years.) However ultimately, it must diffuse into the broader vary… and for ProMotion that second seems to be scheduled for the autumn of 2025. In response to The Elec, all 4 iPhone 17 fashions will get LTPO screens, which in all probability means they’ll all get always-on and sure ProMotion as properly.
The Elec quotes an business official as saying (through Google Translate from the unique Korean): “As a result of the product change between final 12 months’s iPhone 15 and this 12 months’s iPhone 16 sequence is small, the iPhone 17 sequence must differentiate itself by making use of LTPO to the decrease lineup.”
The complication in all this pertains to BOE, a Chinese language provider which has been making OLED screens for Apple’s iPhones since 2021. BOE does have the aptitude to make LTPO screens–The Elec notes that it already does so for some Chinese language smartphone corporations resembling Huawei–however isn’t as much as the duty of doing so for Apple, presumably due to high quality management points. The Elec predicts that Apple “is predicted to conduct some type of ‘coaching’ to enhance BOE’s LTPO know-how.” If this doesn’t repair the issue, that very same business supply reveals, Apple will press forward with the plan with out BOE’s assist.
