LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) is an OLED display panel substrate that differs from the current LTPS (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon) by adding an additional oxide layer that reduces the energy required to excite the pixel dots, thereby reducing power consumption when the screen is displayed.
OLED panels that will be used in next year’s iPhone 13 will be more technically complex to manufacture as compared to the panels used in the iPhone 12. Two of the four models launching next year (likely the Pro model) will use Low‐temperature Poly‐Crystalline Silicon and Oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs). LTPO technology is required for the display to support 120Hz refresh rates. All four models will also feature on-cell touchscreens.
Samsung Display is expected to increase the supply of OLED panels for the iPhone next year, as Apple is expected to ship the largest number of iPhones with OLED in 2021.
Apple iPhone 13 Pro is expected to use a screen with LTPO technology to achieve a refresh rate of 120 Hz
Sources within Samsung Display said Apple is expected to ship between 160 million and 180 million iPhones with OLED panels next year – a figure that combines expected shipments of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 12.
Apple is using OLED panels across its iPhone 12 lineup, which is expected to ship around 100 million units this year. Apple is also expected to use OLED panels in all models in the iPhone 13 lineup.
Samsung Display hopes to use its OLED panels in the approximately 140 million iPhones that will be released next year, the sources said. LG Display will supply its OLED panels for about 30 million iPhones, according to Samsung estimates; BOE is expected to handle the remaining 10 million.
BOE is aiming to supply 20 million panels to Apple, twice as many as its South Korean rival. However, it remains to be seen whether the Chinese display manufacturer will be able to join Apple’s supply chain, as it has already failed Apple’s review twice and will reapply to be Apple’s panel supplier in the first half of 2021.
BOE reportedly already supplies on-cell panels for the Huawei Mate 40 but lags behind rivals Samsung Display and LG Display in LTPO TFT technology.
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