The iPhone 16 could carry a new type of OLED screen. According to a leak, suppliers Samsung and LG have proposed to Apple to use a technology likely to increase the maximum brightness of the slab… while preserving battery life.
While the iPhone 15s have not yet been presented, a myriad of leaks already stand the robot portrait of the iPhone 16. In particular, we learned that the range would be compatible with Wi-Fi 7 and that the Pro versions would feature a new 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor, accompanied by a better zoom.
In addition, Apple would bet on a new type of OLED display on its future smartphones. According to information gleaned by The Elec, the Californian giant intends to use a touch screen with embedded “micro lens array”i.e. grids of small optical lenses.
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More light, more autonomy…
These microscopic lenses, placed between the glass and the OLED panel, are made with production techniques similar to microchips. Each lens captures and redirects light generated by the light-emitting diodes of the screen towards the eyes of the user. This is why this technology, already used in virtual and augmented reality, must make it possible to increase the maximum brightness of the screen.
The icing on the cake, this increased brightness is not accompanied by increased energy consumption. On the contrary, the lens grids must allow Apple to contain screen consumption, which should relieve the battery. Ultimately, this technology could help improve the autonomy of the iPhone. As a general rule, strong luminosity rather causes an increase in electricity consumption.
This design process is increasingly widespread in televisions and computer monitors. On smartphones, screens with tiny optical lenses have made their way to high-end Samsung phones, starting with the Galaxy S22 Ultra. According to The Elec, it is also Samsung, along with LG, who offered screens of this ilk to Apple. For the record, Samsung and LG are still the two suppliers of OLED screens for iPhone.
And disadvantages
Unfortunately, screens with “micro lens array” not only have advantages. The grid tends to reduce the viewing angle. Clearly, you really have to be right in front of the slab to enjoy a quality display. This is less of a problem for a smartphone, the user of which is usually directly in front of it, than for televisions.
Above all, this technology risks considerably increasing theproduction costs iPhones. The South Korean media specifies that Apple has not yet given the green light for the use of screens equipped with a lens grid. Apple first wants to make sure that these screens of a new kind are up to its quality standards. In the coming months, Samsung and LG will therefore have to refine their technology to convince Apple. Note that the company has plenty of time to make its decision. Unless surprise, mass production of the iPhone 16 should not start before summer 2024in view of the annual keynote in September 2024.
Source :
The Electric