WSJ: Apple weighing cost of OLED iPhone, considering ‘more than 10 prototypes’

Apple is asking suppliers to scale up their production of OLED displays and submit samples for a curved-screen iPhone that could debut next year, The Wall Street Journal reports. But people familiar with the discussions said the OLED iPhone is far from a done deal, claiming the model is just one of more than 10 prototypes under consideration, and that there are growing concerns that the cost of the new screen might outweigh the benefits. Analysts think an OLED iPhone could cost up to $50 more to produce, and while the screens are thinner and more flexible than traditional LCD displays, other rigid internal components make it unlikely that the screen’s bendability will make much of a difference. Sharp President Tai Jeng-wu seemed confident that Apple would use OLED screens in at least some iPhone models next year during a speech last month, but isn’t bullish on the move being a game changer, saying, “We will make sample OLED screens, but I can’t see them having the potential to become a big market.”