Curved OLED iPhone 8 Display Rumored to Make a Comeback
Image Copyright 2017 iPhone 8 Concept, iDrop News. Attribution required.
Toggle Dark Mode
A report published on Wednesday by the Nikkei Asian Review appears to suggest that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 8 flagship will indeed boast a curved OLED display — however, the curvatures, according to the report, won’t be as pronounced as initially thought.
Specifically, an anonymous source with knowledge of Apple’s imminent product plans indicated to Nikkei that — unlike Samsung’s signature curved OLED panels, for instance — the displays employed on Apple’s iPhone 8 will appear much subtler, aesthetically speaking, and will therefore be more consistent with the 2.5D panels that Cupertino has been employing since the debut of the iPhone 6 back in 2014.
“The curve will be gentler than screens in Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge handsets,” the source indicated, while adding that the “challenges of making curved glass covers to match screens” is partly responsible for the design change.
This report is coming to us just days after IHS Markit analyst, Wayne Lam, issued a report suggesting that Apple would be ditching a curved display, altogether — instead relying on flat, 2.5D OLED panel for the iPhone 8. These panels, according to Lam, would be consistent with what Apple has been using for the last few iPhone generations — although they would be larger, in regards to their aspect ratio and lack of bezels, than the current 5.5-inch displays employed on Apple’s Plus-model iPhones.
Rumors surrounding a larger, 5.8-inch display on Apple’s 10th anniversary flagship first surfaced last year, courtesy of famed KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, who suggested that while the OLED display would measure 5.8-inches diagonally, only between 5.1- and 5.2-inches of the actual area would be responsive to touch — with the additional display encompassing a dedicated ‘function area’ in place of where the iconic home button would be.
Echoing Kuo’s sentiments, another report issued recently by TrendForce suggested that the display would in fact be of the 2.5D variety, as well. And while Cupertino has employed similar panels on the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 7, it’s possible that the additional screen real estate anticipated on the iPhone 8 might curve — even subtly — around the edges of the handset, projecting the bezel-free aesthetic that we’ve been hearing about for a while now.
The report goes on to cite sources who indicated that Apple “would not be using OLED optimally” if it were to employ an absolutely flat display; however, like all mumblings from the rumor mill, the source also conceded that the design could change at any time.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
