Apple has placed an order for 70 million OLED screens from Samsung, according to a new report from Nikkei. The gargantuan order further underscores Apple’s belief that the iPhone 8 — rumored to be the only device in Apple’s 2017 iPhone lineup with an OLED display — will be incredibly popular. What’s more, the report adds that Samsung is planning to manufacture 95 million OLED screens for Apple just in case demand for the device is even higher than anticipated.
Word of Apple’s massive OLED order comes from IHS Markit director David Hsieh, who adds that Samsung will be Apple’s lone OLED supplier this year. Indeed, word recently surfaced that Samsung is planning to spend $9 billion on expanding its OLED production capabilities for this cycle.
While Apple is reportedly planning to release an iPhone 7s and 7s Plus this year, there’s no denying that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 8, which may very well be called the iPhone Edition, will be the star of the show.
In addition to featuring a brand new edge-to-edge design with an OLED display, Apple’s flagship device is also said to feature improved battery life, wireless charging capabilities, a much-improved processor, improved water resistance, improved camera technology and more. Indeed, we’re starting to see more and more evidence pointing towards the iPhone 8 incorporating a slew of 3D camera sensors that will presumably be used for facial recognition and augmented reality features.
Nikkei adds:
The person says that at least one model will carry a 3-D sensor that allows facial recognition as part of new biometric features. The premium handset will have no home button while the other two will retain the feature, the person says.
As for how the lack of a home button will impact Touch ID, there is speculation that Apple has managed to incorporate the Touch ID sensor into the display itself.
All that said, it stands to reason that the iPhone 8 will anchor the biggest iPhone refresh cycle Apple has ever seen. To this point, analysts Jeffrey Kvaal and Gregory McNiff a few months back issued a note claiming that Apple will be able to sell upwards of 80 million iPhones during the 2017 holiday quarter alone.
