2028 iPhone will reportedly feature advanced 4-side bending OLED displays

Industry sources are now revealing that the company has begun discussions with South Korean display makers about introducing new transparent electrode technology for a more advanced 4-side bending OLED panel, specifically for 2028 iPhones.

ETNews' report hints that the 4-side bending design - which curves all four edges of the display - is already in development for Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone expected next year. The 2028 variant would take this one step further by incorporating a new cathode material. In top-emission OLEDs used in smartphones, light passes through the cathode layer, and higher electrode transparency directly reduces distortion at the panel's curved edges. Apple is understood to be pushing suppliers toward IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide) cathodes to address this.

Apple's primary OLED suppliers (Samsung Display and LG Display) are now both preparing for this aforementioned transition. LG Display appears to be moving faster - its recently announced 1.106 trillion won (approximately $770 million) OLED infrastructure investment is reported to be specifically targeted towards the development (and eventual mass-production) of this tech. The process requires low-damage TCO (Transparent Conductive Oxide) sputtering equipment for the deposition process, and LG is reportedly planning to deploy that for R&D first, before it scales to mass production.

On the other hand, Samsung Display is weighing whether to spend money on new factory lines. However, since its existing smartphone OLED lines reportedly have space and design constraints for installing the necessary TCO sputtering equipment, a dedicated line investment is more likely than anything, the source adds.

Apple seems to be pressuring its partners to move faster. This will likely force Korean screen makers to spend money on new factories sooner so that the trillion-dollar organization can switch to these displays by 2028.