Apple might have ushered in the age of touchscreen-based smartphones with the original iPhone, but during the past few years, the tech giant has struggled to keep up with the competition which has built up technological advances through the years.
Take Samsung, for one. For the past few years, the South Korean electronics manufacturer has used a specialized OLED display for its products, making their screens extremely vivid and bright. Apple, on the other hand, has stuck to traditional LCDs.
The difference in the quality of Apple's iPhone screens and Samsung's flagships have gotten very pronounced, with the current flagship model, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, having screens that look downright pale in comparison to their rivals such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. Even other competitors, such as the LG G5, have screens that outshine the panels installed on Apple's pricey handsets.
It seems like Apple is finally willing to take the plunge towards OLED displays, however, as a Japanese publication Nikkei reported on Wednesday that the Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant is planning to roll out an iPhone with an OLED display as early as 2017.
If the reports are true, Apple's flagship for the following year, possibly dubbed the iPhone 7S, would have a completely revamped display from its predecessors, which would be a unique decision for Apple since the company usually saves its significant improvements for the numerical upgrades to the smartphone line.
Yet another challenge for Apple would be manufacturing the OLED displays in quite a short period of time. After all, if the company does indeed intend to release an OLED iPhone for 2017, it would need to expedite its manufacturing process significantly.
A possible workaround that Apple might take, of course, is to feature the OLED display for the company's alleged ultra-premium line for 2017, the rumored iPhone 7S Pro, the successor to the rumored iPhone 7 Pro which is also rumored to be set for release later this year.
With numerous sources stating that Apple intends to introduce a halo iPhone model for this year, the Nikkei report about Apple releasing an OLED-equipped iPhone for next year becomes a very real possibility.
Though using OLED technology would further increase the iPhone's already stellar price, one thing is sure. Dedicated Apple fans would no doubt do everything they can to afford the company's latest offerings.
