iPhone SE 4 to be the final piece in Apple's OLED transition for iPhones

Over the last few months, buzz around the next-gen iPhone SE 4 has been picking up, signaling that Apple is hard at work on it. Earlier rumors hinted that this budget-friendly model would swap out its LCD (liquid crystal display) for a sleeker OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display, and a recent report from Asia seems to back that up.

Apple to fully transition to OLED displays across all iPhones

Starting in 2025, Apple reportedly plans to make the switch to OLED displays across the board for all its iPhone models, phasing out LCDs entirely, according to media outlet Nikkei Asia. This shift means even the more affordable iPhone SE 4 model will get the upgrade to an OLED screen.

Moreover, this transition to OLED screens will push out two major Japanese suppliers, Japan Display (JDI) and Sharp, from Apple’s iPhone supply chain. Once dominant, with a 70% share in iPhone displays around a decade ago, these companies have recently been supplying LCDs only for the iPhone SE, as Apple’s premium models have already made the move to OLED.

Now, South Korean and Chinese manufacturers are leading the charge in OLED production. Reportedly, Apple has already started ordering OLED displays for the upcoming iPhone SE 4 from China’s BOE Technology Group and South Korea’s LG Display.

Samsung Electronics leads OLED supply for iPhones with nearly 50% market share, followed by LG Display at about 30%, and BOE at 20%. Meanwhile, JDI and Sharp are out of the game when it comes to mass-producing OLEDs for smartphones.

Currently, it is said that JDI is focusing on small OLED displays for gadgets like the Apple Watch and has pivoted toward LCDs for automotive uses, while Sharp is pulling back on its LCD operations.

Back in 2017, Apple made the jump to OLED screens with the iPhone X. Since then, OLEDs have gradually taken over in the company’s premium iPhone lineup, pushing LCD screens to the sidelines.