Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18e will sport the same 60Hz low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) TFT panel as the current iPhone 17e, according to a well-known leaker.
Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station discussed Apple’s 2027 product plans in a recent Weibo post, where he made the claim about the upcoming budget handset.
This means that while the rest of the iPhone 18 lineup will be equipped with a 120Hz refresh rate ProMotion display, the iPhone 18e will lack that feature.
The leaker’s comments jibe with a March report out of Asia that claimed the iPhone 19e would be the first “e” model to boast an LTPO OLED display that would bring 120Hz ProMotion technology to the lowest-priced iPhone. The iPhone 19e is expected to hit store shelves in early 2028.
Apple’s use of the LTPO OLED display is said to depend in part on Apple’s development of a next-generation “LTPO+” display technology. That process incorporates oxide semiconductors in both switching and drive transistors, and will likely use quite a bit less battery power.
Apple reportedly plans to restrict its use of LTPO+ to its higher-end models in 2028, including the widely-expected foldable iPhone and new versions of the iPhone Air, which would free up the supply of standard LTPO panels for the rest of the lineup. However, if the new LTPO+ panel technology isn’t ready for prime, it could delay the possibility of Apple’s using LPTO panels for the 19e.
Apple first began using LPTO+ (LPTO3) panels supplied by LG Display in the Apple Watch Series 10 in 2024. Reports about Apple’s possible use of LPTO+ technology for an iPhone lineup began appearing almost immediately after.