iPhone Roadmap Reveals Apple’s Goals for Under-screen Face ID and Selfie Camera, ProMotion, more
Apple always stays up to date with the latest technology which is one characteristic that makes their devices unique. When it comes to creating an Apple product so much work is put into it to ensure perfection.
We’ve seen Apple use some of the best in Technology to create high-end devices that can’t be matched. It all started with the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max where Apple adopted the new LTPO screen technology for the very first time.
Just a quick one to give you an idea of how and what an LTPO screen is. LTPO is short for low-temperature polycrystalline oxide. These screens are used in high-end smartphones and smartwatches. It is an advanced form of OLED technology that is designed to be more power efficient as it can dynamically adjust its refresh rates which means it switches automatically to use low and high refresh rates depending on the display on the screen.
Today some analysts at Display Supply Chain Consultants confirmed that the feature would remain exclusive to the Pro model of the iPhone for a couple more years before being moved to the down market. The report also went on to include a much broader roadmap that details the future of Apple’s iPhone display technology into 2027.
Currently, only the iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro offer ProMotion, and on the other hand the iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14 offer static refresh rates at 60Hz. Remember LTPO also contributes grossly to power efficiency and this means iPhone 14 Pro can run at 120Hz without having any major problems with battery life. This also contributes to the always-on display used in the iPhone 14 Pro whose display refresh rate can drop to as low as 1Hz.
Analysts at Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) say that Apple will eventually be bringing LTPO to its entire iPhone range. In a new report published on Monday, the DSCC says they expect all Apple iPhone 17 models to have the LTPO panel by 2025. This is because as LTPO becomes more familiar in the market costs of acquiring it will fall. This report also means LTPO technology and its features such as Always-On and ProMotion are likely to remain exclusive to the higher-end iPhone models until 2025.
Ross Young of DSCC also took his time to look into the future of iPhone displays. He gave a roadmap for in-screen face ID and camera technology. For the non-Pro iPhones Young laid out the following road map:
- 2021: Notch, LTPS
- 2022: Notch, LTPS
- 2023: Pill, LTPS
- 2024: Pill, LTPS
- 2025: Pill, LTPO
- 2026: Pill, LTPO
- 2027: Under panel Face ID + hole, LTPO
And for Pro models which will feature LTPO display technology here is the roadmap:
- 2021: Notch
- 2022: Pill
- 2023: Pill
- 2024: Pill
- 2025: Under panel Face ID + Hole
- 2026: Under panel Face ID + Hole
- 2027: Under panel Face ID + Under Panel Camera