Samsung’s stint as the sole supplier of flexible OLED panels for Apple’s iPhone lineup may be coming to a close as the Cupertino tech giant has reportedly picked LG Display as the secondary source.
Samsung became the sole supplier of OLED panels to Apple after the latter placed an order with the South Korean tech giant for flexible OLED displays earlier last year. The OLED panels were eventually squeezed into the iPhone X’s screen, but Samsung’s hegemony in that respect may be over soon.
The Korea Herald reports that Apple has selected LG Display as the auxiliary supplier of flexible OLED panels for the iPhone line of products. Citing sources privy to the matter, the news outlet claims LG Display’s sixth-generation flexible OLED panels recently passed through Apple’s quality assurance tests.
Earlier last month, it was also reported that the South Korean electronics giant plans to start producing foldable OLED displays in partnership with a global original equipment manufacturer. The goal is to produce such displays for LG’s traditional partners such as Google and Microsoft as well as Chinese companies like Xiaomi. Apple’s reported diversification of its OLED panel suppliers could help boost the South Korean company’s footprint in the mobile OLED category.
The addition of LG Display to Apple’s list of OLED suppliers, in particular, is expected to help lower the cost of iPhones sporting such displays. A report by market research firm IHS Markit indicates that the iPhone X’s flexible OLED screen accounts for the biggest chunk of the phone’s value, costing $110.
Source: The Korea Herald
