SOMETHING BORROWED? Sony’s new 2018 smartphones could replicate Apple’s BEST iPhone X feature

New rumours out of South Korea suggest that Sony is working on a new smartphone screen that could rival the iPhone X and Samsung's top handsets

SONY could replicate Apple's impressive iPhone X screen on its own smartphones, according to a new report.

The Japanese phone maker is supposedly sourcing the same impressive OLED displays used on the iPhone X for its own devices.

Sony could mimic the iPhone X's awesome full-phone display with future phones

Last year's iPhone X made headlines for many reasons, but one of its top features is the huge OLED screen that covers almost all of the phone's front.

OLED panels are really advanced panels that offer better colours and contrast, and have been a staple of Samsung phones for a while.

Apple finally got around to debuting OLED tech with the iPhone X in 2017, and it seemsSony could be next in line to make the switch.

BusinessKorea reports that South Korean tech giant LG is selling smartphone-sized OLED panels to Sony, citing display industry insiders.

Sony handsets don't use the same OLED tech seen on top Samsung and Apple smartphones

What is OLED?

Here's what you need to know about OLED screens...

• OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode
• Normal LCD displays use a giant backlight to show you images
• But the pixels on an OLED screen produce their own light
• This means you don't need a power-hungry backlight on all the time
• It also means you can turn individual pixels off
• By turning pixels off, you can show true blacks
• This means OLED screens can show a wider range of colours
• They also offer improved contrast
• But OLED screens are expensive and difficult to make
• That's why only very premium devices use them

"We know that Sony is working with flexible OLEDs," one insider is quoted as saying.

Sony has already used TV-sized OLED screens supplied by LG for televisions, showing off its first OLED model in 2017.

But the company hasn't sprung for the tech on its smartphones.

We spoke to GfK's Imran Choudhary, who said that Sony adopting fancy OLED screens for its next smartphone isn't "out of the question".

"Sony has used LG screens for some of their TVs in the past, and utilising LG's OLED screens could prove a wise move if it allows Sony to revamp its Xperia range."

OLED screens are expensive, but they're generally much better than alternatives

The top mobile analyst revealed that we could see Sony make changes to "design and screen features" on its premium handsets, to bring them more in-line with rivals like the iPhone X.

"Sony devices have always had a particular look, making them recognisable, but the trend has moved towards OLED screens with shrinking bezels on the device, and this is something Sony needs to become part of, or run the risk of getting left behind."

Choudhary told The Sun that Sony could release a device with an LG OLED screen "as soon as later this year or early 2019".