Czarina Grace Del Valle Tech 03.22.2021 23:Mar PM EDT

iPhone 13 Rumors Hint Use of Samsung's LTPO Displays: Release Date, Specs and More

Recent rumors suggest that iPhone x13 will use the new LTPO displays from Samsung, enabling lower power consumption and higher refresh up to 120Hz. The company will reportedly be introducing these new iPhone models sometime this 2021.

Information from The Elec and their UBI Research said that Samsung Displays is converting OLED to LTPO for Apple this year. Samsung is the main supplier of OLED screens used in Apple iPhones. The South Korean company is making adjustments in production to meet the company's demands.

Samsung's organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is said to be turning over its A3 factory line for the production of low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) panels for their largest customer Apple. The factory is also manufacturing low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) TFT OLED panels.

LTPO TFT Production for Apple

LTPO TFT screens support a 120Hz refresh rate and consume less power, gaining an edge against the LTPS technology. Samsung Display calls this incredible performance as LTPO TFT technology Adaptive Frequency. The same technology was first applied to Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and more recently applied to the Asus ROG 5 smartphone's OLED panels.

Aside from Samsung Displays, LG Displays are also raising their production for LTPO TFT technology. LG Displays plan 25,000 substrates per month in their monthly production rate to prepare supplies for iPhone models, extending through 2022.

Samsung Displays is securing their LTPO TFT OLED panels at 30,000 Gen 6 substrates per month capacity for Apple-dedicated production extending until next year. Samsung Displays aim to complete converting their OLED display to LTPO by the first half of 2021.

Apple iPhone 13 Rumors

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo hinted at some features to look forward to with the iPhone 13. The iPhone 13 might be similar to the iPhone 12 series, where different models were released in the same screen sizes. The iPhone models will reportedly feature Lightning connectors instead of the USB-C. Using the new power-efficient LTPO technology, the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are expected to perform similar to the ProMotion display of the iPad Pro.

The new iPhone 13 is also said to feature upgrades on ultra-wide cameras, going from 5P (f/2.4) and fixed focus (FF) to 6P (f/1.8) and autofocus (AF). Other tidbits include a longer battery life but heavier weight compared to the iPhone 12, a space-saving design with reduced front optical modules' thickness by integrating the SIM card slot directly into the mainboard, Qualcomm's 5G modem upgraded to 5nm X60M and LiDAR equipped technology to iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

All these rumors have to be taken with a grain of salt. Features and specs remain unofficial until Apple's iPhone 13 release date. It is entirely possible that Apple continues to upgrade their features beyond what is mentioned in the time of writing. What is certain is that Apple, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max all bring exciting new technologies in the market.