The new iPhone 7 and the 7 Plus are displayed on a table at an Apple store in Manhattan on September 16, 2016 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images/Spencer Platt)
Apple may follow the trend started by its rival Samsung for the upcoming iPhone 8. The Cupertino-based tech giant is looking to launch a premium line of iPhone 8 units with curved OLED screens and a new sensor technology.
With several days left before 2016 comes to a close, tech giants Apple and Samsung are hard at work putting the final touches to its upcoming smartphone devices. For the next generation iPhone unit, it appears that Apple will use Samsung's OLED panels for a special version of the iPhone 8.
A source told The Korea Herald that Apple ordered plastic OLED screens from the South Korean company's Samsung Display unit. Similar to Samsung's Galaxy Edge line, the upcoming premium iPhone 8 models will follow a curved screen design concept already introduced in the Galaxy S6 and S7 Edge series.
Given Samsung's limited supply capability for the said OLED displays, Apple might only release a limited number of iPhone 8 smartphones with curved screens. Samsung Display can only produce around 100 million units of the OLED plastic screens, according to the source.
Moreover, Apple smartphone designers might incorporate a new sensing technology to its premium iPhone 8 devices to set it apart from Samsung's Galaxy S7 Edge and upcoming S8 Edge units. The said Apple enhancement would likely enable users to touch the upcoming device's sides to carry out a specific command.
Meanwhile, Samsung is also set to improve the display screen for the upcoming Galaxy S8. The South Korean company is planning to utilize the Y-OCTA display technology that was first introduced in the doomed Galaxy Note 7, according to Sam Mobile.
With the sensors directly incorporated into the smartphone's display instead of adding a separate touch sensor layer, using the Y-OCTA display technology will make the Samsung Galaxy S8 slimmer than earlier models. It will also cut down production costs for tech firm, however, it is still unclear if it will impact the retail cost of the upcoming Galaxy S8 unit.
Apple's new iPhone 8 and Samsung's Galaxy S8 are both expected to be released in 2017. Learn more about the new iPhone 8 in the clip below:
