iPhone rumour MMCVXII: OLED display

Fresh new rumours from the interwebs report the next-generation iPhone will be bigger inside, simpler outside and feature only one noteworthy improvement: an OLED display.

Apple iPhone Apps, a blog we'd never heard of until they posted this "leaked" information, is reporting that the iPhone to be announced next month will include more RAM, a faster processor, increased storage up to 32GB, 1.5 times the current battery life, a 3.2-megapixel camera with video recording, an internal compass plus "revolutionary" geo-tagging capabilities, a matte finish and a glowing Apple logo on the back — classy.

But it's the OLED display that has caught our attention, and from amongst the list of fanciful additions and no-brainer upgrades, the OLED screen is a component that would seriously improve the current iPhone. The iPhone 3G, released in July last year, sports a 3.5-inch 320x480-pixel resolution LCD display, which is functional, but not extraordinary for a full touchscreen device.

Samsung is currently developing high-end handsets using AMOLED, including the upcoming Omnia HD and the current UltraTouch, and the results we've seen so far are fantastic. Sony has used a similar technology in its X-Series media player and a side-by-side comparison with the current iPhone shows the differences immediately. Not only does video look sharper, clearer and more colourful, but the viewing angle is far superior to LCD displays, making it easy to view the screen while on the move.

We're not sure if this information is legit, posting iPhone rumours is an easy way to attract traffic to a website (ahem!), but here's hoping Apple thought of this improvement before the bloggers did. An OLED display would make the freezing midnight queue outside Optus worth the wait this year.