iPhone 8 Release Date, Rumors, & Updates: Apple To Overhaul Upcoming Next-Gen Smartphones; Dropping The LCD Screen, Switching To OLED Display?

Apple Inc. might begin the production of their next batch of smartphones by replacing the usual LCD screens in iPhones with new technology.

The Japanese news outlet Nikkei reported that the upcoming iPhone 8 will be undergoing a major change. During an event at Tatung University in Taiwan, Sharp CEO Jeng-wu Tai mentioned that the new iPhone 8 will have a huge difference compared to the previous models.

The next-gen iPhone products will be assuming the use of very advanced light-emitting diode screens, which are also organic. Sharp has been the main supplier of screen panels to the United States-based Apple Inc.

Apple has been working to revitalize the sleek design of their flagship smartphone in order to increase sales for the 10th anniversary of iPhone, which will be held in 2017. The news discussed by Sharp President Tai who is also an executive at Foxconn Technology Group came at a very important point in Apple's market performance.

The very first annual sales decline by Apple this September is reminiscent of the lagging performance of the company back in 2001. This is attributed to the insufficient new features in the current iPhone 7 coupled with the fading demand for the once popular signature smartphone.

Samsung Electronics is one of the companies in the world that is currently using OLED technology most notably in their Note 7 and S7 Edge handsets. LTPS screens are very outdated when compared to OLEDs because the latter has a flexibility that can produce foldable screens and present sharper colors.

Apple will be implementing an overhaul on its gadgets by casing them with a glass cover on the front and back which will be complemented by a metal frame joint. The OLED addition is to further enhance the panel of the devices.

It was previously rumored that South Korea's Samsung Inc. will become the main supplier of the OLED panels for 2017 iPhone 8, but it seems that Apple would be working out a new deal with Sharp in Taiwan. President Tai said that they are presently working very hard to return Sharp Inc. to the blue-chip section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange with a target date in the year 2018.

It was noted that Apple is planning to have at least 3 variations of the coming iPhone 8 next year. Two versions would implement the standard LTPS panels and one 5.5 inch model would be using the new curved OLED screen.