Apple iPhone may feature tandem OLED display in future, offering two major advantages

The current Apple iPad Pro already features a tandem OLED display that reaches a full-screen brightness of 1,000 nits and an HDR peak brightness of 1,600 nits, while also being comparatively power-efficient. According to a new report from The Elec, Apple is currently planning to equip future iPhones with a tandem OLED display. LG Display reportedly proposed developing a simplified tandem panel specifically for the iPhone in late 2024.

Instead of arranging all RGB subpixels across two OLED layers, the front layer would house all subpixels while the back layer would be limited to blue subpixels. This would reduce costs while enabling higher brightness and lower power consumption compared to the OLED display of the iPhone 16 Pro. Apple is said to be in talks with LG Display and Samsung Display regarding the development of the corresponding panels, meaning that commercial deployment would coincide with the iPhone 20 Pro in 2028 at the earliest.

The delay until the potential deployment of these simplified tandem OLED displays is said to be primarily due to Samsung Display's lagging development, but Apple does not want to install a panel that can only be manufactured by LG Display, as this would complicate price negotiations and increase supply chain risk. As usual, such early rumors should be treated with caution, as Apple's plans could change in the coming years.