Apple's founder might have raised an eyebrow or two
if someone told him that in 2018 the company will be ordering 45 million
6.46" panels for an upcoming iPhone, making it the potential largest
seller of a big-screen handset model globally. Yet, that's precisely what a
Korean industry publication is claiming today.
Apple is allegedly pretty optimistic about the sales
potential of its largest handset ever, the rumored 6.4" iPhone X Plus, or
whatever it lands as. Shortly after the OG iPhone was introduced, Steve Jobs
mocked larger handset around saying you can't even reach everywhere with your
thumb, so nobody will be buying those.
With today's shrinking bezels and rampant media
consumption on mobile, however, the thought of a 6"+ iPhone surprises
nobody anymore. The report claims that Apple has put orders of 45 million
6.46" panels for the X Plus, 25 million for the 5.8" iPhone X
successor, and about 30 million for the basic iPhone with 6.1" LCD
display.
That's in stark contrast with analyst estimates
about the potential 100 million unit sales of the cheaper LCD model, but let's
not forget that Apple may have run into yield issues with its panel quality
that also needs to accommodate a TrueDepth camera kit notch. These
manufacturing problems may cause a release delay, and the OLED iPhones could
have a headstart before the LCD one if JDI's screen yields don't improve into
the summer.
Long story short, it's the largest, 6.46" X
Plus that Apple may be betting on to be the most interested model in the 2018
lineup. "The order is focused on 6.46-inch OLEDs only for the initial
quantities," according to a display industry insider, yet "the
[order] may be adjusted for consumer reactions since the September product
launch."
There have rarely been so many iPhone owners with
handsets that are at least two years old, waiting on the sides for an upgrade,
so the rumored trio of new iPhones this year could ignite the long-awaited
"super-cycle" for Apple.