Last week Patently Apple posted a report titled "The Latest Samsung Galaxy S8 Rumors Point to a Possible 6.2" Display with Dual Edge-Only Designs." The report noted that Samsung would stop making a flat display version of the Galaxy in 2017 in favor of dual edge versions. Their reasoning was that their Samsung Display division would be providing curved edged displays to Huawei and Vivo in 2017 and that LG Display was going to supply Xiaomi with curved edged display for an upcoming smartphone design. The report lastly noted that it was being rumored in Korea that Apple could be following this trend as well to some degree. Today a new report pushes that position.

According to a new Korean tech report today, "The OLED version of the new iPhone will all be curved as Apple ordered all plastic OLED -- not glass -- from Samsung Display. Samsung is capable of supplying a little less than 100 million units of curved OLED displays to Apple."

Plastic OLED has been used for curved panels for devices like the Galaxy S7 Edge, while glass OLED is typically used for flat panels.

To distinguish the new iPhones with curved edges from Samsung's Galaxy line-up, Apple may use displays with new sensing technologies for the sides of the iPhone. This new technology was likely covered in one of Apple's patents noted below.

But make no mistake about it, Apple isn't copying Samsung's design. We wrote about this in a report this summer titled "The Joke of the Week: Apple is going to Copy Samsung's Edge Smartphone Design." Patently Apple knew then and now that there would be misguided Android fans claiming that Apple is copying their beloved Samsung's design when in fact Apple had patents covering curved displays prior to the Samsung Edge coming to market.

To be specific, Apple patents illustrating the use of curved edges with workable virtual controls on the side date back to 2011. Samsung's Galaxy Note with curved edges debuted on September 3, 2014. You could review other Apple patent reports on this here: One, two and three.

The Korea Herald went on to note that "Samsung Display's curved OLED capacity for Apple is estimated at around 70 million to 100 million units. This is less than half of Apple's annual sales of the iPhone series, which stand at around 200 million units a year."

That would suggest that only a single iPhone may be chosen for the curved edges. The other iPhone would be "flat versions using liquid crystal displays from LG Display and JDI."

Although Apple has to initially rely on Samsung exclusively for its OLED panels next year, Apple is expected to gradually reduce reliance on them as it moves to prevent leaks of information to its head-to-head smartphone rival.

According to recent news reports, LG Display -- Apple's longtime LCD supplier -- is currently working with Apple and Google to develop foldable panels for outward-folding smartphones. It reportedly aims to provide the foldable panels to Apple, Google and Microsoft in 2018.

"If Samsung rolls out foldable phones next year, it would have to sell it at a big loss -- even selling just a small volume. A profit-making company is unlikely to make such a decision," said Lee Chang-hee, a professor researching OLED technologies at Seoul National University.

Rumors to date (one and two) have suggested one model of the 2017 iPhone would have curved edges and/or a glass wraparound display like the one found in an Apple patent noted below. Either way, all rumors including the one today make it clear that one of Apple's iPhones will introduce an all new embodiment in 2017.

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