The iPhone 7 just hit shelves a few months ago, but rumors are already flying about the upcoming 10th anniversary iPhone. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now says the top of the line iPhone 8 will feature a 5.8-inch OLED screen, that will have an actual active display area of somewhere around 5.2 inches. His comments indicate the new premium iPhone could include a wraparound display of some sort.
We predict OLED iPhone will be 5.1-5.2”, despite various market speculation. In terms of the display size of the OLED iPhone, current information from the upstream points to 5.8”, while that from the downstream points to 5”, which does not conflict, in our view. We predict OLED iPhone will adopt a 5.7-5.8” flexible OLED panel (with Samsung (KR) as the exclusive supplier). Nonetheless, for ‘specific design purposes’, the actual active area may be around 5.1-5.2”. Other than the OLED model, we expect Apple to launch new 4.7” and 5.5” TFT-LCD iPhone models.
Kuo says the 5.8-inch OLED iPhone will be sold alongside new 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones that will use traditional LCD displays. Kuo expects a switch to a glass casing instead of metal for the 4.7- and 5.5-inch versions. Kuo believes Apple will pack the latest technology and design into the OLED iPhone, making it the premium flagship model of its iPhone lineup.
A key concern for Apple with their new flagship iPhone, if Kuo’s speculation comes to be fact, would be a limited availability of OLED displays, which could possibly constrain production of the new premium handset.
Kuo says he expects good growth for the 2017 model iPhones, and is expecting total shipments for fiscal 2017 to reach 220 million to 225 million units, versus 212 million units shipped in fiscal 2016.
