Apple iPhone to Upgrade with LTPO3 Display, Significantly Boosting Performance and Battery Life

The iPhone 16 Pro models already feature one of the best displays in smartphones, but Apple isn’t content with this technology alone. Reports suggest the company aims to implement the same display technology found in the Apple Watch in future iPhones, which will improve energy efficiency and performance. With lower power consumption than current panels, this would allow for longer battery life in iPhones.

In September, Apple introduced the new Apple Watch Series 10 with a major redesign. This wearable device is slimmer than its predecessor, and its display is slightly larger. The OLED display in the Apple Watch Series 10 is now branded as “LTPO3,” representing an upgrade from the LTPO technology in the Series 9. LTPO, or Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide, integrates an oxide layer into the TFT panel, reducing power consumption at lower refresh rates.

Currently, the iPhone uses an LTPO2 display, similar to the one in the Apple Watch Series 9, which lacks the oxide layer. The LTPO3 display technology in the Apple Watch allows for greater energy savings on iPhones by optimizing brightness on a per-pixel basis. For reference, the Apple Watch Series 10 is 40% brighter than the Series 9 when viewed from an angle. Furthermore, future iPhones in Always-On Display mode could refresh once per second instead of once per minute, thanks to the faster refresh rates possible with LTPO3.

With a more power-efficient panel, iPhone battery life and viewing angles are expected to improve. Samsung is working to supply Apple with the necessary LTPO3 panels for iPhones, although this new display won’t debut with next year’s iPhone. However, Apple is likely to equip all iPhone 17 models with LTPO2 displays, which would bring high refresh rates and Always-On Display capabilities to the standard models as well.