Samsung to Start Making LTPO OLED Displays for Apple in First Half of 2021

Samsung is planning to begin making low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) OLED displays for Apple beginning in the first half of 2021, according to a new note by research firm UBI Research shared by The Elec.

Samsung plans to convert its current low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) TFT OLED display manufacturing for the new technology as Apple prepares to incorporate LTPO into its iPhone 13 displays.

LTPO displays use less power than standard OLED displays and will allow Apple to implement the 120Hz refresh rates that are rumored for the iPhone 13 lineup.

The Elec says that Apple will use LTPO TFT OLED panels for the higher-tier iPhone models launching in 2021, which will be provided by Samsung. LG Display will be providing standard LTPS TFT OLED panels for the lower-end models.

This is in line with rumors that suggest Apple's higher-end iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max will feature faster 120Hz refresh rates, enabling iPad Pro-like ProMotion technology.

There were rumors that suggested 120Hz refresh rates could be introduced in the 2020 iPhone models, but display analyst Ross Young said that Apple would not be able to introduce the feature until it was able to use LTPO displays to allow for a variable refresh rate while also preserving battery life.