Future iPhones could get a brightness and battery boost with new OLED tech

Apple is reportedly looking into bringing its iPad Tandem OLED technology to the iPhone. This will help increase future iPhones’ brightness and prolong battery life. 

Back in 2024, Apple introduced the OLED iPad Pro, which sports Tandem OLED panels. Apparently, now, the Cupertino tech giant is considering using a similar approach on future iPhones, according to sources of The Elec. 

Reportedly, LG Display talked to Apple about a Simplified Tandem OLED panel back in 2024. Also, Apple has discussed the tech with its main OLED partner, Samsung, as well. According to the report, Apple has yet to decide on whether to go ahead with the Tandem OLED iPhone and may still be in talks with LG and Samsung about it. 

Typically, Apple operates on a two-year schedule for development and mass production of its devices. The report suggests that the first iPhone models with this tech may appear after 2028. 

Tandem OLED and Apple’s rumored take

The rumor claims that Apple might use something called Simplified Tandem OLED in future iPhones. It’s a new type of screen tech based on Tandem OLED, which uses two layers of OLED stacked on top of each other. This helps make the screen brighter, use less power, and last longer.OLED screens are great because they light up on their own and don’t need a backlight. In regular Tandem OLED, both layers have all three colors – red, green, and blue – so you get extra brightness and better efficiency.
But in the simplified version, only the blue subpixels are doubled in the second layer. The red and green stay in just the main layer. This works because blue pixels wear out faster and use more power, so giving them a boost helps the screen last longer without needing to double everything.

In short: it’s a smart way to get the benefits of Tandem OLED, but with lower cost and simpler production. If the rumor is true, future iPhones could have brighter screens that use less battery – and be cheaper to make, too.

Back in July 2024, reports indicated that Samsung and LG Display were working on a version of the technology for micro OLED panels. This could potentially be included in an upgraded Apple Vision Pro.