This year marks the first major design change that Apple has taken to refresh their iPhone lineup. Although the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus still maintain the similar design of its predecessors, the iPhone X establishes a couple of firsts for the Cupertino-based company. One of the biggest changes made to their flagship smartphone is the shift from IPS LCDs to OLED technology. Additionally, the latest version finally ditches the home button in favor of new gestures, which is another first for them. Meanwhile, It has been speculated that Apple will no longer source some of their components from Samsung in the near future.
Samsung components for the iPhone
According to Apple, the ultimate reason for their plan to cease their industrial partnership with Samsung is to keep their ideas safe. Currently, the South Korean tech company supplies the OLED screens used on the iPhone X. The American tech firm fears that their component supplier might covertly steal their ideas for their future flagship model, which is rumored to feature a foldable display of some kind. For those who religiously followed product announcements made by the aforementioned supplier, would know that they also revealed future plans for foldable screens on their electronics.
Past lawsuits tell the story
To recall, Apple filed a lawsuit against Samsung back in 2011 that pointed out the latter’s patent infringements.
A document submitted in court reveals a 132-page instruction manual for their engineers on how to copy the iPhone. Both companies threw lawsuits at each other until the court finally awarded the victory to the former complainant.
New model by 2020
The new smartphone model currently in development won’t see store shelves until 2020, according to a South Korean market news site, The Investor.
The most important component that will be the highlight of their new device is foldable OLED screen. For those who are unaware, the iPhone X uses a foldable model as well, which allows engineers to stretch the display from the top all the way to the bottom. Unlike their latest flagship, the upcoming device will implement the flexible panel in a supposedly unique way.
Staying ahead of the game
On the flipside, Samsung is rumored to release their first mobile phone with a flexible screen next year. It is currently unknown if they plan to feature the technology on the Galaxy S9 or Note 9. It could even be an entirely new lineup of devices which showcases the interesting properties of a foldable panel. Meanwhile, Apple has reportedly turned to LG for its future OLED component needs, which will be used by their next iPhone concept.
