Following multiple reports claiming Apple will release its first OLED-based iPhone as early as 2017, DigiTimes Researchsays that Apple manufacturer Foxconn will develop AMOLED displays through its recent investment in troubled Japanese electronics maker Sharp.
Sharp will set up one 4.5G and two 6G AMOLED production lines with monthly capacity of 13,000, 11,500 and 34,500 glass substrates respectively, with total monthly capacity of 9.85 million 5.5-inch equivalent panels.
Given its longstanding relationship with Apple, the move could position Foxconn as a frontrunner among AMOLED display suppliers for iPhones. Recent reports said Apple was closing in on deals with Samsung and LG, while AU Optronics and Japan Display are also rumored candidates for orders in 2017 or 2018.
AU Optronics, Japan Display, LG, and Sharp have all supplied Apple with LCD displays for current or previous iPhones.
Last month, oft-reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple is planning an all-new iPhone featuring a curved 5.8-inch AMOLED display for debut in 2017. Kuo noted that, if supplies are sufficient, Apple would launch a 4.7-inch LCD-based iPhone paired with the new 5.8-inch AMOLED iPhone as a Plus-sized model.
While some have expressed skepticism about Apple releasing a larger 5.8-inch iPhone, one possibility is that the screen wraps around the sides of the device akin to Samsung's Galaxy S7 Edge. Apple holds patents for wraparound screens, and the design lines up nicely when applied to the height of a 5.5-inch iPhone.
Rumors suggest that the iPhone 7 series will have iterative designs compared to the current iPhone 6s lineup, meaning that Apple is likely saving its major design change for 2017. Nevertheless, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will likely have many notable differences, headlined by the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Saturday January 31, 2026 10:51 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
I still don't see a real and practical use for wraparound screens as the S7 Edge has.
To me, it's nothing more than looks, and making the display more vulnerable to breakage, scratches, etc. Does it sense touch on the edges? If yes, how can you hold it by the sides without causing a touch event?
Unless Apple is planning use this technology for something more practical, someone please enlighten me.
Would be great if Apple improved the Shenzhen operations by lifting wages for its offshore workers, reducing their hours, and giving them proper working conditions. Apple is totally dragging its feet. And the issue at hand is OLED vs LCD?? What a joke!
Wages - The wage of an Apple factory worker inChina is about $310 USD per month. (2000 Chinese Yuan per month, but somewhere between 850 Chinese Yuan per month to 2030 Chinese Yuan.) - The wage of a factory worker in the USA is about $3900 USD. (Notice the extra zero?)
Hours of work - The hours of work in Apple’s offshore factories are at least 60 hours with records showing Apple’s offshore factory workers can frequently work up to more than 100 hours in a week. - The hours of work in the USA is around 40 hours.
Buying an iPhone - iPhone SE 16GB price in China is $510 USD. (3288 Chinese Yuan.) - iPhone SE 16GB price in the USA is $399 USD.
China File https://www.chinafile.com/reporting-opinion/viewpoint/major-china-apple-supplier-pays-workers-less-foxconn
China Labor Watch http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/report/107
Would be great if Apple improved the Shenzhen operations by lifting wages for its offshore workers, reducing their hours, and giving them proper working conditions. Apple is totally dragging its feet. And the issue at hand is OLED vs LCD?? What a joke!
Wages - The wage of an Apple factory worker inChina is about $310 USD per month. (2000 Chinese Yuan per month, but somewhere between 850 Chinese Yuan per month to 2030 Chinese Yuan.) - The wage of a factory worker in the USA is about $3900 USD. (Notice the extra zero?)
Hours of work - The hours of work in Apple’s offshore factories are at least 60 hours with records showing Apple’s offshore factory workers can frequently work up to more than 100 hours in a week. - The hours of work in the USA is around 40 hours.
Buying an iPhone - iPhone SE 16GB price in China is $510 USD. (3288 Chinese Yuan.) - iPhone SE 16GB price in the USA is $399 USD.
China File https://www.chinafile.com/reporting-opinion/viewpoint/major-china-apple-supplier-pays-workers-less-foxconn
China Labor Watch http://www.chinalaborwatch.org/report/107
Here it is, the yearly implication that Apple are going to use OLED screens in the next model... and we can all guess what happens... they use IPS LCDs, thankfully. OLED is a mess - if OLED were really THAT GOOD, why are they not completely replacing LCDs? It's not as if OLED are new and bleeding edge. Apple are about colour accuracy, especially when you consider their new iPad Pro 9.7". Why would they move one product across to OLED and not the rest - can you say "inconsistent"? I am extremely confident that Apple will skip OLED panels altogether, and that they have something of their own in the pipeline... a little way off yet.
OLED screen: nice gimmick to have if your name is "Samsung".
Following multiple reports claiming Apple will release its first OLED-based iPhone as early as 2017, DigiTimes Research says that Apple manufacturer Foxconn will develop AMOLED displays through its recent investment in troubled Japanese electronics maker Sharp.
