Curved display screens are kind of Samsung’s thing right now (especially with its popular Galaxy “Edge” releases), but its fiercest rival Apple may be thinking of taking a page from the South Korean phone maker’s book, at least according to a report published by the Nikkei Asian Review just this week.
As reported by Nikkei Asian Review (and rumored earlier), Apple’s smartphone offerings for next year may include a trio of very distinct iPhone variants -- a 4.7 inch base model, a 5.5 inch Plus edition, and a 5.5 inch or larger device that will feature a display screen bent on the two sides. For the first two variants, the 4.7 inch model and the Plus model, they are said to be fitted with a regular flat display screen. The third one, however, will sport a curved display screen similar to Samsung’s Galaxy S7 Edge and the recently released Galaxy Note 7.
When Samsung introduced its curved display screen, the objective was to create a dedicated space for icons, mobile apps, and other special content. Obviously, mobile users around the world took a liking to that idea -- unveiled in March early this year, the Galaxy S7 Edge has since become a certified hit.
Meanwhile, Apple has gone through a couple of quarters of declining smartphone sales, and although any new iPhone release is still sure to be a hit, the company may be looking to offer major new features in its flagship devices for next year in order to rejuvenate its ailing sales. But is an iPhone with a curved display screen the answer?
Apple would certainly hope so. The first two iPhone offerings are expected to come with a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen, while the third one will reportedly be the first iPhone ever to feature an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display screen (Samsung has been using OLED display screens for some of its current Galaxy devices). OLED display screens are slimmer, lighter, and more flexible compared to LCD screens, and more importantly for mobile users, they have better power efficiency and superior color and graphics rendering. Interestingly, Samsung will be supplying the OLED display screens for Apple next year.
Of course, Apple usually does not confirm anything until the day it officially unveils its latest iPhone products, which means that for now, nobody knows for sure which is which exactly. Still, it is worth remembering that 2017 will mark the 10th birthday of the iPhone, so it makes sense for Apple to really pull all the stops in introducing a new iPhone that should blow people’s minds.
