In summary:
- Macworld reports the iPhone 18 is expected to feature significantly brighter displays than current models, which offer 1,000 nits typical and 3,000 nits peak brightness.
- Apple’s demanding 2026 brightness requirements may exclude Chinese supplier BOE from providing screens for the upcoming device.
- This major display upgrade represents a substantial leap in screen technology that could enhance outdoor visibility and overall user experience.
According to a new report from a prominent leaker, this fall’s iPhone 18 will feature a significantly brighter screen than any previous iPhone model.
MacRumors claims that the Weibo account known in English as Instant Digital says Apple’s screen brightness requirements for late 2026 are dramatically higher than in 2025. The increase is so steep, the leaker writes, that one supplier will have to drop out of the project.
While most iPhone 17 screens were made by Samsung or LG, the Chinese firm BOE supplied some for units destined for its home market. But BOE is set to miss out in 2026, Instant Digital claims, specifically citing the brightness requirement as the reason for its probable omission.
The iPhone 17, like the iPhones 15 and 16, has a typical maximum brightness of 1,000 nits, and an HDR peak brightness of 1,600 nits. Unlike those two phones it has a peak outdoor brightness of 3,000 nits, up from 2,000. BOE was perfectly capable of producing panels to match all of those specs, which suggests that the iPhone 18 will deliver something significantly brighter.
For all the latest news and rumors, check out our regularly updated iPhone 18 superguide. And if you can’t wait until the fall, find the lowest price on the current range with our guide to the best iPhone deals.
Author: David Price, Editor, Macworld
David has been writing about technology for well over two decades, and got on board the Apple hype train when covering the original iPhone launch in 2007. He is an enthusiastic Apple Watch evangelist and feels that the HomePod is misunderstood.