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Could all iPhones in 2018 get this screen?

Apple will wave bye-bye to LCD screens and go all-OLED, all the time, according to a new report.

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Jessica Dolcourt Editorial Director, Content Operations
Jessica Dolcourt's career with CNET began in 2006, and spans reviews, reporting, analysis and commentary for desktop software; mobile software, including the very first Android and iPhone apps and operating systems; and mobile hardware, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of practical advice on expansive topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
Expertise Team leadership, audience engagement, iPhone, Android, iOS, tips and FAQs.
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Jessica Dolcourt
2 min read
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Now you LCD-it, now you don't?

 Sarah Tew/CNET
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All of next year's iPhones could adopt a new screen technology, according to Nikkei Asian Review, not just the most high-end model.

(Brace yourself for a lot of "ifs.")

That could be a departure from what we get later in 2017, when it's rumored that the iPhone 8 , Apple's celebratory 10th-year anniversary effort, will ditch the LCD display and go with OLED instead. But the other two iPhones we're hearing about (let's call them the 7S and 7S Plus for now), could still carry the same LCD screens we see on today's iPhones.

What's the big deal? A few things. OLED screens are said to provide higher contrast, which helps save power and make pixels pop. OLED is also said to be better for VR headsets, which would be helpful if Apple helps develop a dedicated VR headset for the iPhone. 

The perma-adoption could also signal a shift for OLED screen technology and the companies that make it -- largely Samsung, whose phone division battles Apple for global smartphone dominion. (Samsung's Galaxy S8 is one of many Samsung phones using an OLED -- also known as AMOLED -- screen.) 

Apple as a customer could help buoy or break Samsung's OLED business. It could mean huge profits if Samsung gets and keeps the winning bid, or lost sales if Apple isn't satisfied. iPhone 8 shipments are already said to be delayed because some of the superphone's parts are taking longer to make. (Conflicting rumors say the phone is on target.)

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Via MacRumors.

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Watch this: We celebrate 10 years of the iPhone... with more iPhone 8 rumors! (Apple Byte Extra Crunchy, Ep. 90)