Over the past few months, excitement has been building around the next-generation iPhone SE 4, suggesting that Apple is hard at work on it. Previous rumors suggested that this budget model would swap its LCD (liquid crystal display) for a slimmer OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display, and a recent report from Asia seems to confirm this.
Apple is switching to OLED displays for all iPhones
According to media company Nikkei Asia, Apple plans to switch to OLED displays for all iPhone models from 2025 and completely phase out LCDs. This change means that even the cheaper iPhone 11 Pro model will be upgraded to an OLED display. In addition, the switch to OLED displays will push two major Japanese suppliers, Japan Display (JDI) and Sharp, out of Apple's iPhone supply chain. These companies once led the way with a 70% share of iPhone displays about a decade ago, but have recently switched to supplying only LCDs for the iPhone SE, as Apple's premium models have already switched to OLED.
Now South Korean and Chinese manufacturers are leading the way in OLED production. Apple has reportedly already started producing OLED displays for the upcoming iPhone 11 Pro from the Chinese BOE Technology Group and the South Korean LG Display.
Samsung Electronics leads the OLED supply for iPhones with a market share of nearly 50%, followed by LG Display with about 30% and BOE with 20%. JDI and Sharp are now out of the running when it comes to mass production of OLEDs for smartphones.
Currently, JDI is said to be focusing on small OLED displays for devices such as the Apple Watch and concentrating on LCDs for automotive use, while Sharp is scaling back its LCD business.
In 2017, Apple made the leap to OLED screens with the iPhone X. Since then, OLEDs have gradually taken over in the company's premium iPhone range, pushing LCD screens into the background.
This rendering suggests that the iPhone SE 4 could look very similar to the iPhone 14 from 2022.
The upcoming iPhone 11 Pro promises to be a real upgrade. Rumor has it that it will have a similar design to the iPhone 14, complete with Face ID and a USB-C port. It could also include the Action Button introduced with the current iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Meanwhile, the iconic home button is reportedly being ditched, making way for a sleek full-screen look. Expect the display to grow from 4.7 inches to 6.06 inches and RAM to double from 4GB to 8GB, thanks to the demands of Apple Intelligence, the new suite of AI features debuting with iOS 18.
The iPhone SE 4 is expected to launch next spring between March and May. I know it might feel like a long wait, but given all the rumored upgrades, I think it might be worth waiting for – especially if you're an Apple fan looking for a budget option.