Future iPhones might have curved edges -- but keep LCD displays

The iPhones of the future could have screens with curved edges, a benefit of the natural flexibility of OLED displays, which Apple is rumored to be considering for the so-called iPhone 8. However, a new type of display could let Apple build a curved iPhone with LCD tech.

Apple supplier Japan Display announced plans to start mass producing new, flexible LCD display panels for smartphones in 2018, according to The Wall Street Journal. While the company declined to name any partners planning to use the tech, "some smartphone makers" have reportedly agreed to adopt the screens in the next few years. According to "people familiar with the matter," Apple has its eye them as well.

The new tech is clearly an effort on Japan Display's part to keep LCD displays in play for future iPhones; previous rumors point to the Apple shifting to OLED displays to accommodate a curved- screen design, possibly similar to Samsung's Galaxy Edge phones. Samsung Display will reportedly be the exclusive supplier of the 2017 iPhone OLED panels.

Most LCD displays include of a layer of glass, which keeps the screen surface flat. But Japan Display's design solves the issue by swapping out the glass for plastic. According to the report, the plastic LCDs aren't quite as flexible as OLED panels, but they'll be pliable enough for the curved edges of a wraparound screen.

If the LCD displays work as advertised, it could be a big deal for Apple's business. According to the report, mass-producing OLED displays would require significant investments for new production lines. The flexible LCDs would likely be more cost-efficient, since the new design adapts already existing technology.

Notably, these new LCDs won't be the displays that could make the iPhone truly bendable, like the Samsung device that will reportedly launch later this year. If bendable smartphones ever actually become a reality, they're further off in the future, as there are other production challenges to be solved with the iPhone's inner components and battery before the devices could be flexible enough to bend.