Sources: expensive OLEDs mean Apple expects LCD models to make up the majority of iPhone sales in its fall lineup and plans to use LCD displays next year too
Apple expects to sell more iPhones with LCD screens than pricey OLED models in its coming lineup: sources
Context & Ripple Effects
This report lands mid-arc in Apple's slow display migration. Back in late 2016, supply constraints meant only one 2017 iPhone model could get an OLED screen, which is why the 2017 lineup settled into one curved OLED flagship flanked by two LCD models. By June 2018, LG Display was about to come online as a second OLED supplier shipping an initial 2M–4M units, easing the bottleneck that had kept OLED exclusive.
First-order effects
- Apple's fall lineup is being planned around price tiers rather than display tech: LCD models are expected to carry the majority of unit sales, keeping OLED as the premium differentiator while LG ramps as a second source alongside the incumbent supplier.
- Buyers of lower-priced iPhones stay on LCD through 2019 under the stated plan, so the display gap between the cheapest and priciest models persists for at least another cycle.
Second-order effects
- A second OLED supplier changes Apple's negotiating position on panel pricing and allocation, reducing dependence on a single source just as it weighs how fast to expand OLED beyond flagships.
- LCD panel orders get a longer runway than the 2017 lineup implied, since Apple committing to LCD models for 2019 keeps that part of the supply chain booked through another product year.
Third-order effects
- The pattern holds in the later record: sources reported in January 2019 that Apple would likely drop LCD altogether from its 2020 lineup, and by 2024 plans had firmed to put OLED even in the low-priced iPhone SE from 2025 via BOE and LG — suggesting LCD's role was always transitional, priced to bridge until OLED costs fell far enough to reach budget models.
The trend: Smartphone displays migrate from LCD to OLED tier by tier — flagship first, budget last — with supplier diversification setting the pace of the crossover.