Apple iPhone 18 Pro with LTPO+ display upgrade, iPhone 18 gets a downgrade
Apple is expected to finalize approvals for the OLED panels for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max this month, with Samsung Display and LG Display likely to handle the majority of panel supplies, reports The Elec. According to the report, the Chinese company BOE was excluded from the premium product supply chain this year, despite having secured some orders for iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max panels.
iPhone 18 Pro to be more energy-efficient.
The setback is said to be due to quality and yield problems with the low-temperature polycrystalline oxide plus (LTPO+) technology compared to South Korean competitors. In fact, this is the key improvement that is the focus of the restructuring of the product offering.
The South Korean publication ETNews previously reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models will use LTPO+ display technology, which is expected to be more energy efficient than the current LTPO technology of the iPhone 17 series.
Such an iPhone 18 Pro upgrade could also contribute to longer battery life, as LPTO+ allows for finer control of OLED light emission and can thus potentially adapt the operation of the display to the ambient conditions.
The ETNews report from January also mentioned that the iPhone 18 Pro models will utilize Samsung’s infrared under-display technology, which could allow some Face ID components to be placed beneath the display. This could enable Apple to reduce the size of the Dynamic Island in the iPhone 18 Pro models – whether this will actually happen, however, remains unclear.
New leak: This is why Apple is delaying the iPhone 18
According to leaker Fixed Focus Digital, Apple deliberately delayed the launch of the iPhone 18 as part of its marketing strategy. This move is intended to extend the sales window of the iPhone 17, reduce production costs, and improve Apple’s competitive position against Android competitors.
In two new posts on Weibo, Fixed Focus Digital explained that a downgrade to the standard model of the iPhone 18 was largely unavoidable due to global supply chain bottlenecks, and that Apple had deliberately chosen to delay the device rather than rushing it to market.
By extending the iPhone 17 production cycle and initiating a large-scale production ramp-up, Apple aims to use the additional time to secure market share for the mid-range iPhone 17 before its less powerful successor arrives. According to an insider, Apple plans to have enough iPhone 17s available to participate in the Chinese shopping event “Double 11” (Singles’ Day). Double 11 is one of the world’s largest annual shopping events and a key arena for market share in the Chinese smartphone market.
The tipster described the approach as a “remarkably clever market adjustment mechanism” and suggested that a less feature-rich iPhone 18 would be easier to market commercially if it were released approximately 18 months after the iPhone 17. By that time, the previous generation would have already dominated the mass market for an extended period. Fixed Focus Digital described the strategy as simultaneously reducing production costs and increasing market share against Android competitors.
These reports lend a strategic dimension to the rumors about potential compromises in the device’s quality. The leaker initially reported that Apple is making certain manufacturing cuts for the iPhone 18 to reduce costs, adding that both the display specifications and the chip will be affected. Apple might be planning to change the name of the A-series chip used in the device to obscure the extent of the chip modifications. Validation tests for the development of the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are reportedly scheduled to take place concurrently in June, supporting the assumption that the two devices now share many technical similarities.
The leaker recently stated that certain parts are interchangeable between the iPhone 18 and the less expensive iPhone 18e. This suggests that a degree of convergence in the specifications of both devices is real and measurable at the supply chain level. “Believe me: The standard iPhone 18 model has been downgraded and its launch postponed—this decision is final and will not be changed,” he added.
The iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 are expected to launch in spring 2027, while the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Ultra are anticipated in fall 2026. Separate launches for the Pro and standard models have been widely reported since last year, including by Ming-Chi Kuo and Nikkei.
