A KGI report back in November said that Apple was working on two OLED iPhones for 2018, an updated version of the 5.8-inch iPhone X and a larger, 6.5-inch Plus model.
A supply-chain report today states that while Samsung will remain the sole or primary supplier of the OLED panels for the smaller model, LG will supply the panels for the 6.5-inch model …
One of the initial constraints on supply of the iPhone X was poor yield rates on the Samsung-made OLED screens. Back in August, the yield rate was reported to be as low as 60% thanks to Apple’s exacting standards.
But Samsung appears to be getting into the swing of things, with a report out of Korea saying that the yield rate passed through 80% later in the year, and is now close to 90% …
We’ve known for some time that LG has been aiming to win OLED iPhone screen orders from Apple, but it’s looking like a deal could be closer than expected.
Following a recent rumor that the company had signed an OLED supply deal with Apple for the iPhone X, ending the exclusivity of the current contract with Samsung, the firm was asked to make a regulatory filing clarifying the position …
China’s largest display manufacturer, BOE, is reported to be making a serious bid to win OLED orders for future iPhones. It’s said to have offered to construct not just one but two large-scale OLED production lines which would be used exclusively for Apple orders.
Apple is currently dependent on Samsung for all its OLED panels for the iPhone X, a position the company almost certainly wants to change …
Although LCD iPhones are now starting to feel like the poor relation of the shiny new OLED screens used in the iPhone X, it seems that the gap between the two might get smaller next year.
Apple is reportedly considering using a new form of advanced LCD panel that would allow the same kind of near-bezel-free designs as OLED does today …
The OLED iPhone X has been described by Apple as the future of the phone, but a Korean report claims that Apple isn’t yet done with launching all-new LCD models.
It claims that next year’s line-up will include a brand new screen size. That might not be surprising if it were suggesting a new OLED model, but this one is said to have an LCD screen …
Samsung is ramping-up manufacturing volumes on seven separate OLED production lines dedicated to panels for the iPhone 8, according to a Korean report. While the panels are described as ‘flexible,’ this simply refers to the type of screen needed for an edge-to-edge display.
The report says that full-scale production will begin later this month, with output capacity increasing by 700% …
It was reported earlier this month that Apple was close to striking a deal where it would make a large upfront investment in LG’s OLED production lines in return for output being exclusively devoted to iPhone screens.
A fresh report today supports this, and claims to have more detailed information on the as-yet-unannounced arrangement …
Samsung has forecast that its Q2 profits will easily set an all-time record for the company. While sales of its flagship S8 smartphone will play some role, the bulk of these profits are expected to come from chip and display panels – with Apple its largest single customer …
Apple’s decision to use an OLED screen on the iPhone 8 will significantly accelerate adoption by other smartphone manufacturers, says a Trendforce report. The WitsView division of the company suggest that adoption will hit 50% by 2020.
The prediction highlights ‘the Apple effect’ when it comes to new technology …
Samsung may be the exclusive supplier of OLED screens for the iPhone 8, but it seems that Apple is taking significant steps to diversify its supply chain.
Not only is the company reportedly close to striking a deal with LG, but Apple is said to be making a large up-front investment in the company’s OLED production lines in return for output being exclusively devoted to iPhone screens …
Samsung is said to be building the world’s largest OLED production plant as it seeks to meet future demand for displays for the iPhone 8 and beyond. The report comes after the company reportedly shared its plans with manufacturers of production equipment needed for the plant.
However, while Samsung is believed to be the sole supplier of displays for the iPhone 8, there is no guarantee that it will retain this position for subsequent OLED models …
A report out of Korea claims that Samsung will not only be manufacturing the OLED screens for the iPhone 8, but also playing a key role in the supply chain management for related components.
Samsung Display, the display-making unit of Samsung Electronics, is the only panel maker globally that mass-produces OLED panels for smartphones. Its market share stands at a whopping 95 percent currently. Because Apple is still less experienced in OLED, the display maker is said to be playing a key role in the overall supply chain management that consists of its own key parts suppliers …
All reports point to Apple using an OLED display in just one of its iPhone models this year, while two other models stick to IPS LCD screens. A supply-chain report out of Korea suggests that Apple is aiming to adopt OLED across all models by 2019.
Foxconn appears to be taking full advantage of its acquisition of Sharp as the display maker is reported to be setting up an OLED production line at an iPhone assembly factory. All of the OLED production there is said to be destined for upcoming iPhone models, according to a Nikkei report cited by Digitimes.
Sharp plans to invest JPY100 billion (US$864 million) to set up an OLED production line at Foxconn Electronics’ factory in Zhengzhou City, northern China.
However, the facility won’t be ready for this year’s iPhones, as trial production is not expected to begin until 2018 or 2019 – though the company may be making OLED units for the iPhone 8 elsewhere …
One of Apple’s iPhone display suppliers has been rescued by a $636M bailout from the government-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan, reports the WSJ. Japan Display had seen its display panel orders fall significantly in the face of keen price competition and a move towards OLED, a technology it does not currently produce.
The rescue could well be important for Apple …
Following a report in October claiming Samsung and LG were both attempting to win orders for OLED displays to be used in future iPhones, a new report today says Apple has partnered with LG Display for a foldable OLED panel of sorts.
According to the report from etnews, LG Display is partnering with Apple, Google, and Microsoft on what it describes as ‘out-foldable’ OLED displays.
Expand
Expanding
Close
A report in the WSJ backs an earlier suggestion that Apple may be planning a hi-res curved-screen iPhone next year, possibly as a new top tier handset known as an iPhone Pro. The company is said to have gotten as far as prototyping the new device.
We’ve been hearing rumors for some time now of a third iPhone tier next year. The majority of these reports suggest that the top-tier model will be distinguished by an OLED screen while the two other models remain for now on IPS LCD – but we have heard one previous credible report of a curved-screen model …
It had been thought that Apple would only have two suppliers to choose from when it came to its rumored switch to OLED displays for at least some iPhones next year: Samsung and LG. A third contender emerged in June, when it was reported that Sharp’s OLED panel business would be up-and-running by next year, and it now seems possible that Japan Display will also be in the running.
A report from Korea’s ETNews says that the OLED Touch Bar panel in the new MacBook Pro was made by Samsung, and that Apple is currently testing OLED panels suitable for use in MacBooks.
According to an industry [source], Apple installed Samsung Display’s OLED panel for touch screen bar for its new MacBook Pro. This panel is rigid-type OLED that is produced from Samsung Display’s A2 Line […]
“Apple is currently looking into ways of using OLED panels for MacBooks and testing their performance.” said a different representative.
It’s of course a no-brainer that Apple would be looking at a switch to OLED for future MacBook displays given the benefits these offer …
One of the many iPhone 8 concepts, this one from Concept iPhone
BusinessKorea reports that Samsung and LG are engaged in a ‘do or die’ fight to win orders from Apple for OLED displays for future iPhones. The companies are said to be investing a combined record sum of around $11.6B this year alone in the type of flexible displays likely to be used in next year’s iPhones.
While Apple is widely expected to switch from LCD to OLED displays for future iPhones from either 2017 or 2018, one company is suggesting that the move made be a purely temporary one.
Digitimes quotes Innolux chairman and CEO Wang Jyh-chau arguing that OLED is not suitable as a permanent replacement for LCD. While the company – an LCD manufacturer – might be expected to make this case, Innolux is not suggesting that Apple will return to LCD, rather than it will adopt a third display technology: microLED (mLED) …