iPhone XR Successor Ditching LCD For OLED? Apple’s 2020 iPhone Lineup Plans Revealed

Apple’s iPhone XR successor may be going for OLED instead of LCD display, based on leaked plans. According to reports, the iPhone XR's failure to meet sales expectations may be one of the reasons why the company is switching its display technology.

LCD to OLED Display

To date, the iPhone XR remains the only model in the latest series of Apple iPhones that still features LCD display. Despite the former's aim to offer better design flexibility and higher-quality color display, the latest iPhone XR did not meet sales expectations. Earlier this January, Apple issued a letter to investors about downgradings its guidance for Q1 2019 partly because of the weak iPhone sales.

This is despite Apple CEO Tim Cook's claim that the iPhone XR is the company's best phone yet.

"Here's the truth, what the facts are. Since we began shipping the iPhone XR, it has been the most popular iPhone every day, every single day, from when we started shipping, until now," Cook said during a CNBC interview.

Impact on Apple Suppliers

If Apple switches from LCD to OLED, then this can have a significant impact on the company's suppliers. Providers like Japan Display are already struggling following the supply cuts from Apple. Japan Display, the tech giant’s supplier of LCD panels, is now in a bailout talk with an investor group in Taiwan and China.

Apple has not disclosed further details on what its next iPhone XR will be like. The company has yet to confirm any specs. All plans leaked about Apple's production and supplies should be taken with a grain of salt.

2020 iPhone Lineup

As for the iPhone 2020 lineup, reports claim that if Apple tries to switch to OLED then a “more flexible handset design” will be possible. This can also be a game changer for the iOS smartphone series. Apple may finally be getting the memo after some time.

Experts believe that Apple should opt for a major design change to support its upgrades. People are not willing to upgrade to a new iPhone without major changes. The market considers Apple's latest iterations underwhelming and pricey. They failed to ignite the upgrade frenzy that previous models did.

Given the current sales performance of the iPhone, experts also expect the company to either amp up the features if it wants to keep the price range, or cut the retail price to compete better.