14 DAY TRIAL // People close to the matter previously hinted that Apple was planning to make the switch to OLED screens for the iPhone sometime in 2018 or 2019, but a new report coming from a Japanese source now provides us with more information about this significant change for the Cupertino-based firm.
Japanese newspaper Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun writes that Apple is already discussing with local company Japan Display a potential contract for OLED displays, but if an agreement is reached, it can only come into effect from early 2018.
This means that the first version to replace the LCD with OLED will be iPhone 8, so the next-generation model will come with the same technology as the existing one.
Same screen as on Apple Watch
Currently, the Apple Watch is the only device in Apple's lineup that comes with an OLED display, and rumor has it that the fruity-named firm is looking at the same configuration for the 2018 iPhone too.
The biggest challenge for Apple will be the price, as OLED panels are obviously more expensive but provide superior quality, more vivid colors, are faster and more responsive. The LCD screen, on the other hand, is more affordable, so should Apple decide to make the switch to OLED, the final cost of the iPhone could be significantly increased, especially with more new technologies currently in the queue.
In the meantime, Apple's also working to bring out a smaller iPhone, possibly called iPhone 6c, which could see daylight in early 2016. It appears this phone would come with a 4-inch display, a metal case, Apple Pay and Touch ID, but more premium features such as 3D Touch would not be available in order to keep the price as low as possible.
Apple hasn't yet confirmed this project, but it's believed the company would unveil it in the first quarter of 2016, ahead of the eagerly anticipated launch of the iPhone 7.
