Sketchy Report Claims LG to Provide Flexible OLED Displays for Apple's iWatch

According to a report [Google Translate of cached version] from Korean publication Digital Daily that was published and then pulled (via G 4 Games), Apple has inked a deal with LG to provide flexible, plastic OLED displays for the company's iWatch product. LG is allegedly the sole supplier of the 1.52-inch panels for Apple's rumored smart watch device.

continuous

Image from Apple's "bracelet" with wraparound display patent

LG is said to be starting mass production of these flexible panels starting in July 2014 with an initial target volume of 2 million units, and Apple chose these panels because they are thin, light, and provide adequate brightness with minimal power consumption, insiders claim. LG introduced the display technology in early 2013 and incorporated the panel in its curved LG G Flex smartphone, which was unveiled in October of last year.

Besides a flexible display, other rumors have suggest the iWatch will be launched in the second half of 2014 with wireless charging as a possible feature. OLED has been a commonly rumored technology for the iWatch, but other sources have pointed to different display sizes for the device, including the possibility of separate sizes in the 1.3-inch and 1.6-inch ranges for men and women.

Apple is said to be continuing to work through issues with battery life, display technology, and manufacturing on the iWatch, with the device said to feature biosensors and mapping features and run a "full" version of iOS.

The reason for the removal of today's report about the claimed deal with LG is unclear, and with no rumor track record for Digital Daily it is difficult to assess the reliability of the claims.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

Saturday January 18, 2025 10:28 am PST by
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr. The report cited a source who said iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that can run iOS 18, which would mean the following models: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 iPhon...
airtag 4 pack blue

AirTag 2 Launching This Year With These 3 New Features

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:11 am PST by
After a four-year wait, a new AirTag is finally expected to launch in 2025. Below, we recap rumored upgrades for the accessory. A few months ago, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple was aiming to release the AirTag 2 around the middle of 2025. While he did not offer a more specific timeframe, that means the AirTag 2 could be announced by the end of June. The original AirTag was announced...
iPad Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature

Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

Friday January 17, 2025 3:38 pm PST by
For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but...
apple power beats pro 2

Powerbeats Pro 2 Coming Soon: Apple to Announce Them 'Imminently'

Sunday January 19, 2025 8:25 am PST by
In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and it appears the wireless earbuds are coming very soon. Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the Powerbeats Pro 2 in regulatory databases last month, Gurman said Apple is...

Top Rated Comments

3282868 Avatar
144 months ago
Nice. Now produce a paper thin, OLED "newspaper" that changes with headlines and can be rolled up, and I'm sold.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
downpour Avatar
144 months ago
I'm probably not going to buy one of these, but I'm looking forward to seeing a new Apple product that looks futuristic and groundbreaking again.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KdParker Avatar
144 months ago
Looking forward to the design possibilties that could come from flexible display. :)

Hopefully we will not have to wait until 2016 and beyond.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IJ Reilly Avatar
144 months ago
Why wouldn't it be? iMac, iBook, iPod, iPhone, iPad, iTunes, iWork, iLife, iMovie, iBook, iCal, iTV (never mind the fact that the last two + the iBook were later renamed) - do you doubt that the first letter of the name will be 'i'? And Apple has rarely made up the main word of the product... Mac came from Macintosh and Cal from Calendar, so neither of those were really made up - just shortened. Pod is the only word they really made up (or at least seems unrelated to the product.) So "Watch" seems like a reasonable guess. "Time" or a unit of time (the "iSec"?) might also be reasonable, or possibly a reference to the fact it goes on your wrist. iWrist or iWear? iWatch seems most probable to me - everything else seems awkward.
Hmm, I didn't say any of that. But what I will say is that MR can't seem to decide editorially whether the iWatch name is just a placeholder (in which case it should always be in quotes, which it is only sometimes), or the actual name for the product. They went through the same exercise with the iPad, which MR was certain was going to be called the "iSlate" despite the obvious problems with that name that so many pointed out. (This is true, you could look it up.)

Similarly, iWatch is unlikely to be the product's real name. First, it is closely associated with ancient, single-purpose technology. Strike one. Second, it associated with a growing class of "smart watches," most of which are geeky and not very compelling functionally. Strike two. Third, it limits the imaginations of potential buyers of the product and developers alike about what the product can do. Strike three, you're out.

But it must be called the iWatch, because MR says so. And they are always right on the money.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JaySoul Avatar
144 months ago
Ooooh this is actually intriguing!

A flexible display mixing iOS and FuelBand-like technology sounds dope.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
taptic Avatar
144 months ago
Gosh... really slim pickings these days if that's the only other supplier Apple could go to.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)