Apple’s rumored switch to Samsung supplied OLED panels could be short-lived, said Innolux CEO.

Some rumors have pointed Apple will release its first iPhone models with OLED displays in 2017, the head of LCD manufacturer Innolux CEO Wang Jyu-Chau told DIGITIMES, he went on to note that OLED will be unlikely to fully replace LCD technology in terms of performance-cost ratio and reliability long term.

Micro-LEDs are believed to eventually replace LCD to become the mainstream display technology, said Innolux Vice President and Mobile Product General Manager Yang Hung-wen.

Responding to market speculation, Apple will adopt OLED for its new iPhone to be launched in 2017, Yang indicated that the displays were used for product differentiation, but it might not turn out to be a long-term solution, since Apple is developing micro-LEDs.

Apple had opened a secret laboratory in northern Taiwan in 2015 to develop thinner, lighter, brighter and more energy-efficient displays for future iOS devices that will be used in advanced versions of LCDs in iPhones, iPads, Macs and other devices.

A following report mentioned Apple will be developing micro-LED technology at its factory following its acquisition of micro-LED company LuxVue Technology in 2014. LuxVue raised $25.2 million in funding to develop the display technology in 2013, and has several micro-LED patents.

Micro-LED displays are thinner and lighter and enable improved color gamut, increased brightness, and higher resolutions. The panels do not require backlighting, such as those found in conventional LCDs, but are difficult and expensive to mass produce. Micro-LEDs tend to be 1-micron to 100-microns large.

Current generation iPhones use TFT-LCDs, while the Apple Watch is the only product with an OLED display. The Apple Watch is the company’s only product with an OLED display, and rumors suggest micro-LEDs might be installed in new watches in second half of 2017. According to the Mac Rumor report, the Apple Watch’s small size will be a testing ground for micro-LEDs in larger iPhone and iPad devices.

The report indicates Apple’s switch to OLED display technology in 2017 will help keep up the competition in the short term, while it works to develop micro-LED displays. Apple’s 10^th anniversary iPhone in 2017 is expected to have glass casing and a 5.8-inch curved OLED display supplied by Samsung, while it has been reported Apple plans to launch 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models with flat LCDs including iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.