Equipped with two high-performance OLEDs for top models
Samsung D·LGD benefited from supply volume and price
Performance of domestic materials and parts companies is also expected
Apple will install an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel with an improved refresh rate on the next iPhone to be introduced in the new year. The scanning rate is the number of screens (frames) that the display displays in one second, and the higher the scanning rate, the more vivid and natural images are expressed. Samsung Display and LG Display are responsible for supplying the iPhone 13 display, which is expected to improve performance, in Korea.
According to the industry on the 30th, Apple is pushing to mount an OLED panel that supports a refresh rate of 120㎐ on some models of the iPhone 13 (tentative name) released in 2021. Among the four iPhone 13 models, a 120㎐ OLED panel will be applied to the top two.
A low-power display driving technology,’Low Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide (LTPO)-Thin Film Transistor (TFT)’, is planned to be applied to this 120Hz panel. It was found that Apple has confirmed the display standards for such content and is promoting development with partner companies.
The scanning rate is the number of frames displayed on the display per second. The higher this number, the smoother the dynamic screen can be. You can enjoy action movies or games with fast screen transitions more clearly and naturally. The refresh rate of the iPhone 12 released this year is known to be 60 Hz. In the iPhone 13, the refresh rate is doubled.
The backplane (pixel operation circuit) also changes as the refresh rate changes. LTPO-TFT is planned to be applied to the 120㎐ OLED panel. LTPO combines the advantages of low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS), which has high charge mobility and stability, and oxide, which has good uniformity and low current leakage, and is characterized by improved power consumption. It is understood that Apple decided to introduce LTPO-TFT to offset the increase in power consumption caused by the improvement of the refresh rate, and the display performance improvement of the next iPhone is expected to be noticeable.
It is the first time that a 120㎐ panel is applied to the iPhone. Apple applied a 120㎐ LCD panel to the iPad, and the iPhone was only 60㎐. It can be interpreted that Apple’s attempt to introduce high refresh rate OLED to its next product is due to the development of display technology and market competition in mind. Samsung Electronics installed a 120㎐ OLED on the Galaxy S20, which was released earlier this year. The Z Fold 2 and Galaxy S20FE released in the second half were also equipped with a 120㎐ display. With the launch of 120㎐ products in Xiaomi and Oppo, the supply and installation of 120㎐ high refresh rate OLED is showing a proliferation trend.
Apple’s introduction of high-performance OLED is expected to be a growth opportunity for the domestic display industry in the new year. The iPhone 13 will be released in four models, just like the iPhone 12. All four OLEDs for iPhone 13 are supplied by Samsung Display and LG Display. Samsung Display has been supplying OLEDs from the iPhone X in 2017, when Apple first introduced OLED, and the iPhone 11, which was released in 2019, respectively.
IPhone 13’s top two displays are upgraded to 120㎐ and LTPO-TFT, and there is a possibility of a price increase. Samsung Display and LG Display will supply about 120 million units and 40 million units to iPhone 13, up 20 million units from iPhone 12. As it is observed, Samsung Display and LG Display’s earnings are paying attention.
In addition, due to the improvement of panel performance and expansion of supply, parts and materials such as display driver IC, flexible printed circuit board (RFPCB), and OLED emitting materials are expected to change. Interest is also focused on the performance of domestic material and parts makers in the supply chain (SCM) next year.
An industry insider who is well aware of Apple’s situation said, “Supply varies depending on actual sales results, but the same four iPhones as this year will be released in the new year, and two of them are positive as the introduction of high-performance panels is promoted.” The iPhone is showing strong sales, so there are high expectations for the next product.”
Apple OLED related companies such as Samsung Display, LG Display, and BH said, “We cannot confirm the details of the customer.”
Reporter Gunil Yoon [email protected]