It’s being reported this morning in Korea that Apple has begun developing an iPhone to be released in 2027 to mark the 20th anniversary of the iPhone. Major changes have also been detected in the supply chain, and the impact on the industry is expected to be significant.

According to industry sources on the 14th, Apple is pushing forward with a plan to apply cutting-edge technologies to the iPhone to be released in 2027. This is to enhance the status of the iPhone, which has led the smartphone market, and to highlight its image as a technology-leading company.

The most specific plan is the introduction of an OLED display driver chip (DDI) based on the FinFET process. A DDI is a semiconductor that issues driving commands to the pixels that make up the display, and Apple has been confirmed to be pursuing a related project.

Apple has been manufacturing existing DDIs using a 28-nanometer (nm) planar process, and plans to manufacture them using a FinFET-based 16-nm process for the first time in the industry.

With the DDI reorganization, major changes are also expected in OLED displays. It has been reported that Apple is introducing FinFET-based DDIs for the purpose of implementing low power consumption. As power consumption has become very important in smartphones due to artificial intelligence (AI), it is expected that OLED elements with high luminous efficiency will be applied and, at the same time, a completely new display design that has never been seen before will be installed.

It has been reported that Apple will soon begin discussions regarding the 20th anniversary iPhone display. It plans to hold a meeting with Samsung Display and LG Display to decide on the technology to be applied. The two companies are iPhone OLED suppliers.

In addition, pure silicon batteries, under-display cameras (UDC), and four-sided bending display technologies are being developed, so attention is focused on whether they will be ultimately commercialized.

Pure silicon batteries are a technology that can dramatically increase energy density and extend battery life by using 100% silicon as a cathode material instead of graphite.

The report also noted that the semiconductor industry predicts that Apple will apply mobile HBM to the iPhone around 2027. An industry insider said, "Apple is reviewing a change in the design of its mobile application processor (AP) to enhance AI computational capabilities," and "The plan to connect mobile HBM to the GPU is likely."

There is also a possibility that Apple has already shared this plan with major memory suppliers such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. Both companies are developing mobile HBM with their own semiconductor packaging methods, and their target mass production date has been identified as after 2026. Samsung Electronics is implementing mobile HBM packaging technology under the name of 'VCS (Vertical Cu-post Stack)', and SK Hynix is ​​implementing it under the name of 'VFO (Vertical wire Fan Out)'. If it is adopted for the iPhone in the future, it is expected that the competition will be fierce as it will be able to continue the HBM leadership in the server market in the smartphone market.

Lastly, UDC hides the camera under the screen, and four-sided bending implements a full screen without a bezel. Apple has been working on UDC for a long time. Here are just a few Apple Patents on UDC: 01, 02, 03.

Key aspects of Apple's UDC development: 

• Face ID:

Apple has been granted patents for hiding the TrueDepth camera system, which is responsible for Face ID, behind the display. 

• Image Quality:

Apple is developing advanced filters and techniques to minimize image distortion caused by the display when the camera is in use. 

• Display Integration:

Patents describe ways to integrate the camera module behind the display, potentially including removing or modifying subpixels to allow light transmission. 

• Potential for Foldable Devices:

Apple's UDC technology could be particularly relevant for foldable devices, allowing for a seamless transition between the inner and outer displays.