One of the biggest upgrades expected on the upcoming iPhone 13 series is the move to high refresh rate displays — a feature that has become mainstream on Android smartphones. A new report states that Apple will make to jump and use some of the best high 120Hz panels from Samsung.
According to a report from The Elec (a Korean outlet), Apple will use Samsung Display’s LTPO OLED panels for the iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Orders for the displays have already been placed, and Samsung will upgrade its Apple-exclusive production line within the first half of 2021. A production target of 70,000 substrates a month has been set.
Samsung is expected to be the exclusive vendor for the said LTPO panels, whereas LG and BOE will be the suppliers for other OLED panels. Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide panels consume significantly less power while running, thanks to features such as Adaptive Frequency, which is Samsung’s TFT technology that can vary the refresh rate of the display automatically. For example, while gaming, the screen will run at the max 120fps, whereas drop down to 30fps while watching a movie.
Such implementations have been seen on devices such as the Note 20 Ultra, the S21 Ultra and even the Asus ROG Phone 5. The OnePlus 9 Pro takes it a step further and can go as low as 1Hz during static scenes for even more savings. Just today, Samsung issued a release on how well the reception from manufacturers was, and about how much more interest there is.
Soon after the iPhone 12 launch, information surfaced that Apple decided to skip high refresh rate displays due to the increased power consumption. By offering a variable refresh rate, it could take care of that side effect on the iPhone 13.
The iPhone 13 range is likely to land in September of this year, but things could go awry owing to the global semiconductor shortage. Apple might also have to compensate Samsung Display for not being able to match iPhone 12 Mini panel demand, reports The Korea Herald.
- Two iPhone 13 models look set to have a 120Hz screen built by Samsung
- iPhone 13 release date, price and everything you need to know about the new iPhone
- OnePlus 9 Pro screen specs unveiled in shock pre-launch reveal
