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Apple – All in on OLEDs by 2020
April 08, 2019 Apple will release three OLED iPhones in 2020 that feature different screen sizes to its current crop of handsets. While Apple is expected to stick with the same screen sizes for 2019's iPhones, DigiTimes suggests that it'll shake things up in 2020. Citing sources in Taiwan's supply chain, DigiTimes claims that Apple's 2020 iPhone lineup will comprise of 5.42in, 6.06in and 6.67in models; currently, the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max sport 5.8in, 6.1in and 6.5in screens, respectively. As we previously reported all 2020’s iPhones will adopt OLED screen technology, with Apple eliminating the LCD display on its cheapest model. Samsung will remain Apple's main OLED panel supplier next year, but the smallest model coming in 2020 will include Samsung or LG touchscreen tech that will allow Apple to make the display thinner than previous handsets. "The 5.42in model to be released in 2020 may come with either Samsung Display's Y-Octa or LG Display's TOE touch technology, noting that both touch solutions promises to trim down the display cost," DigiTimes reports. |
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Just weeks after claiming that TSMC will be the sole supplier of 7nm chips for this year's iPhones, DigiTimes reports that the chipmaker "is expected to secure the first 5nm chip orders from Apple for the 2020 iPhones". Further details are scant, but it looks like Apple could be one of the first to use the 5nm chip used for advanced AR and AI applications that offer a significant boost to battery life.
With all the biggest players set to release foldable phones in 2019, Apple apparently won't join them until 2020 -- at the earliest. With the company still working to bring OLED displays to the entirety of its lineup, foldable screens don't seem to be a realistic route on Apple's near-term roadmap, despite the company having filed a number of patents. Notwithstanding signs of slumping performance at the end of 2018, Apple still made $37 billion in revenue from selling nearly 50 million phones from July through September last year. The iPhone remains a premium product sold by a premium brand.
CNET's Shara Tibken has reported that the company's shift to 5G may have been slowed by its licensing dispute with Qualcomm, which makes the modem that will power the first wave of 5G phones, slated to arrive in the next few months. Bloomberg reports that Apple will not release a 5G phone until 2020 at the earliest. After years as a Qualcomm customer, Apple dumped the company in 2018 over a legal dispute. Its most recent batch of phones -- the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR -- all use modems built by Intel, whose 5G modem will be ready for commercial devices in the second half of 2019, with broader deployment set for 2020or 2021.
The FTC's ongoing lawsuit against Qualcomm is unearthing hints about the company's relationship with Apple as well as forthcoming products. During the proceedings, an Apple supply chain executive testified that the company considered using modems made by MediaTek and Samsung for the iPhones coming in 2019, as reported by Reuters. Bloomberg has reported that at least one of the 2019 iPhones will have three cameras on the back to support Apple's new 3D technology that will enhance AR applications.
Figure 1: Future iPhone with 3D Camera
With all the biggest players set to release foldable phones in 2019, Apple apparently won't join them until 2020 -- at the earliest. With the company still working to bring OLED displays to the entirety of its lineup, foldable screens don't seem to be a realistic route on Apple's near-term roadmap, despite the company having filed a number of patents. Notwithstanding signs of slumping performance at the end of 2018, Apple still made $37 billion in revenue from selling nearly 50 million phones from July through September last year. The iPhone remains a premium product sold by a premium brand.
CNET's Shara Tibken has reported that the company's shift to 5G may have been slowed by its licensing dispute with Qualcomm, which makes the modem that will power the first wave of 5G phones, slated to arrive in the next few months. Bloomberg reports that Apple will not release a 5G phone until 2020 at the earliest. After years as a Qualcomm customer, Apple dumped the company in 2018 over a legal dispute. Its most recent batch of phones -- the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR -- all use modems built by Intel, whose 5G modem will be ready for commercial devices in the second half of 2019, with broader deployment set for 2020or 2021.
The FTC's ongoing lawsuit against Qualcomm is unearthing hints about the company's relationship with Apple as well as forthcoming products. During the proceedings, an Apple supply chain executive testified that the company considered using modems made by MediaTek and Samsung for the iPhones coming in 2019, as reported by Reuters. Bloomberg has reported that at least one of the 2019 iPhones will have three cameras on the back to support Apple's new 3D technology that will enhance AR applications.
Figure 1: Future iPhone with 3D Camera
Source: @OnLeaks
On Jan. 6, OnLeaks and Ice Universe posted renders showing a purported prototype with three cameras in a triangular configuration, plus a flash, housed in a large, square module. (Ice Universe later tweeted that such a camera design is an "irreversible reality.") From: CNET
UBS thinks the lack of a 5G-capable iPhone by next year is “not good” for Apple but the impact of the delay will likely be mitigated by the slowing speed customers are replacing old iPhones. There is “increasing potential that Apple may not be able to ship a 5G iPhone for 2020,” UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri said in a note to investors.
The delay in part comes from the lack of a smartphone processing chip compatible with 5G, according to Arcuri. UBS does not think Intel will be ready with a chip, while neither Samsung or MediaTek “are unlikely solutions” for Apple, Arcuri said. The analyst believes Apple is aiming for 2021, although that is still a “big technical hurdle.” While the lack of a 5G-capable iPhone may hurt Apple, Arcuri said a large number of users needing to replace old iPhones “should soften any potential impact.” UBS estimates iPhones have “an effective upgrade rate of ~3.4 years,” Arcuri said. He added that Apple “remains steadfast in its estimate that actual upgrade rates are [less than] 3 years which suggest we are now actually below full replacement rates.” “Though lack of 5G phone next year would be a near-term headwind, our install base and replacement analysis suggests iPhone can ultimately grow over the longer term,” Arcuri said.
Next year’s iPhones are expected to come with a more-powerful 3-D camera as the company moves into augmented reality. The rear-facing, longer-range 3-D camera is designed to scan the environment to create three-dimensional reconstructions of the real world. It will work up to about 15 feet from the device, in contrast with the current iPhone 3-D camera system, which points toward users and operates at distances of 25 to 50 centimeters to power Apple’s Face ID facial-recognition feature.
Apple’s new system uses a laser scanner, rather than the existing dot-projection technology that doesn’t work well over longer distances. That’s just one of many new features -- including a third, more advanced camera, enhanced photo-capture tools and a more powerful chip -- that Apple plans to include in coming generations of iPhones. The laser-powered 3-D camera would enhance augmented reality on the iPhone, allowing for more accurate depth perception and placement of virtual objects. It could also help the handset take photos that can better capture depth. Apple has been in talks with Sony Corp.about testing their TOF cameras for the new system. AR overlays visuals and data onto a view of the real world. Use cases include looking at a building and displaying details of the structure beside the image or listing repair instructions for a mechanic while working on a defective machine. The 2020 iPhone camera may be a prelude to an AR headset that Apple has been preparing for as early as 2020. Apple previously planned to put the new 3-D camera system on the back of this year’s high-end iPhones, but the implementation was delayed. Cameras have become one of the most-important features in a saturated smartphone market. Better photos are a compelling reason for people to upgrade their handsets, especially when other new capabilities are either harder to design or too wonky for most customers to appreciate. A third camera on the back of the 2019 iPhone will help the device capture a larger field of view and enable higher zoom levels. It will also capture more pixels so Apple software could, for example, automatically repair a video or photo to fit in a subject that may have been accidentally cut off from the initial shot, according to the people familiar with the plans. The company is also planning an enhanced version of its Live Photos feature, which pins video from before and after each shot to the photo. The new version will double the length of the video from three seconds to six seconds. The laser-powered 3-D camera could debut first on an upgrade to the iPad Pro currently planned for as early as spring 2020. Apple isn’t expected to release a major iPad Pro update this year as it did in 2018. Apple is also testing some versions of this year’s iPhone line that includes a USB-C connector instead of the Lightning port that has been used on iPhones since 2012, indicating that the company plans an eventual switch, according to one of the people. Moving to USB-C would make the new models compatible with chargers used for hundreds of other devices, including Android phones. This year’s iPhone models will include an upgraded Apple processor and use an updated Face ID sensor for unlocking the device and approving payments. The handsets will otherwise be similar to the current models with larger changes expected as early as 2020 when 5G or a foldable model may be available. accommodate plans for 5G networking capabilities. From: Bloomberg