Apple plans to launch the fourth generation of the iPhone SE in the first quarter of next year which will be a significant improvement of the cost-conscious phone. What has been upgraded is an OLED display, which has been added for the first time in the SE series.
Apple's Next iPhone SE: Bringing Premium OLED to the Budget Lineup
This change to OLED is a big change in the direction of Apple because the company is gradually moving away from the LCD screen in favour of the better technology. OLED allows representing colors more accurately, shows deeper blacks, and consumes less energy which all increase the possibilities of users’ positive experience.
This shift means that Apple is gradually moving towards providing Apple OLED iPhone SE along with enhancing the quality of the iPhone SE as per the devices which are in the elite category. This adoption underlines Apple Inc.’s constant strive to ensure that all their products have value added features even where they sell sub-standard devices at relatively cheaper costs as compared to its peers.
The shift to OLED could also have general influences for the industry, especially the suppliers of the LCD screens in Apple’s products since the organisation is moving away from the use of this older fashioned type of screen technology. In this context, some of the companies, such as Japan Display and Sharp, which have long been involved in the production of LCD panels, can appear under pressure.
In a similar vein as the hype for the iPhone SE 4, that would be a device with the familiar design and pricing strategy of prior SE devices but with the new-age display solution usually found on premium iPhones.
Apple’s OLED Shift: How JDI and Sharp Lost Their Grip on the iPhone Supply Chain
The need for Apple to switch from the use of LCD to OLED screen is expected to keep Japan Display and Sharp out of its supply chain as highlighted in the Nikkei Asia report. This will be a paradigm shift within the Apple devices’ screens market for the company.
OLED displays penetration at Apple started with the iPhone X in 2017 and we have seen OLED screen become normal for Apple’s high-end iPhones. Unfortunately for the likes of JDI and Sharp it has reduced the requirement for LCD screens significantly.
For instance, JDI and Sharp were providing about 200 million LCD panels for iPhones per annum in the year 2015. But by 2023 it reduced up to 20 million because the people were not demanding the LCD panels as before due to the advancement of OLED technology.
However, iPhone-related businesses have gone down, JDI still supplies small OLED display to other Apple products like the Apple watch. The current situation is also changing the firm’s strategy to produce the LCD screen for automobiles as a secondary option for generating revenue.
Sharp on the other hand is moving away from the LCD segment which was focused on television manufacturing in the past. It is now in the process of formulating new strategies in the wake of the changes that had occurred in the screen manufacturing demands.
Exclusion of JDI and Sharp in iPhone supply chain can be attributed to the wider industry shift towards the OLED, which has higher clarity, brightness and powersaving than the LCD displays. This transition then highlights the need to keep up with the dynamic environment in the global market in relation to the highly competitive nature of the supply chain in the technology industry.
iPhone SE 4: Apple’s Mid-Range Marvel Gears Up with OLED, Face ID, and Major Upgrades
It appears that Apple has started ordering material for the next generation iPhone SE in OLED panels from BOE Technology Group in China and LG Display in South Korea. This is an interesting turn of events because iPhone SE line ditches traditional LCD in favor of OLED screen for the first time.
The fourth generation of iPhones SE is expected to come with similar design to the iPhone 14, apart from the software upgrades like Face ID, USB C port as well as the Action Button. This aligns the SE model more with the flagship designs hence the creation of the Apple iPhone SE.
The expectation is that there will be significant changes as regards the hardware such as a considerably bigger 6. An inch larger display with a size of 06 inches opposed to the previous 4 inches. To be specific, it is 6. 5 inches in the 2022 model and can be increased to 7 inches. Also, the device may come with 8GB of RAM, which is twice of what the prior model offered to accommodate the development of Apple Intelligence devices.
It is also expected that the new iPhone SE will be equipped with a custom-built 5G modem as well as the A18 processor resulting in providing users with the most advanced technology in processing while being able to compete effectively with other mid-line smartphone brands.
Suppliers are preparing themselves for high-volume production of iPhone SE in October, 2024 with the possibility of launch before the Lunar New Year in January, 2025. This timeline implies that they should start the introduction to make sales especially in the early part of the year.
Despite rumors of an earlier launch, a March 2025 release for the iPhone SE is also likely, consistent with the release dates of previous models. This would allow Apple to maintain its established launch cycle while maximizing market anticipation.
