The punch hole display of iPhone14 now looks like a lock

The punch hole display of iPhone14 now looks like a lock

iPhone users have had to live with a notch on the display since 2017. But according to a new report, Apple is changing things up, at least with the iPhone 14 model. While that is welcome news, that same report suggests that the standard iPhone 14 may keep its current refresh rate, even though fast refresh screens are becoming the standard for flagship phones.

All of this is contained in a report from Korean outlet The Elec that provides some supply chain news on the iPhone 14. The part that is relevant to consumers relates to the news that LG will supply Apple with LTPO OLED panels for the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which will feature punch holes.

Ross Young, co-founder and CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), was able to confirm to Tom's Guide via email that LG will manufacture the display for the iPhone 14 Pro. The Elec said that Samsung will supply all LTPO OLED panels for the iPhone 14 Pro. This is all consistent with previous reports from The Elec claiming that the iPhone 14 Pro will feature a hole-punch display.

That same Elec report also points out that a supplier that does not currently manufacture fast refresh displays will supply some panels for the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 - potentially suggesting that Apple's standard iPhone will not see a fast refresh rate in the fall suggesting that we won't see a 6.1-inch iPhone 14 in the fall. Both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini use a 60Hz refresh rate.

Young said he believes Apple will likely keep the base iPhone 14 and rumored iPhone 14 Max at 60Hz as a means of product differentiation. The report states that Apple will remove the iPhone mini from the lineup in favor of a 6.7-inch phone that is less expensive than the Pro version.

The Elec did not confirm in its report whether the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will feature LTPO 2.0 technology, a smoother display that appears to be featured on the OnePlus 10 Pro and Xiaomi 12 Pro.

One of the main advantages of the LTPO backplane (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) is the ability to quickly change the screen refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz. This is advantageous to battery life because the static image on the screen is clocked at 1 Hz and quickly snaps to 120 Hz when needed.

Even more so considering that some of our best budget phones, like the Samsung Galaxy A32 5G and OnePlus Nord N200 5G, have 90Hz displays.

Either way, the LTPO OLED makes for a great smartphone display. At least the Pro model will reportedly have a significantly upgraded camera. We also feel that in the age of Covid, the iPhone 14 would be meaningless without this special feature. And be sure to read our compilation of must-haves for the iPhone 14 based on current rumors.

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