Apple has invested $200 million into Japan Display, the display maker the company relies on for LCD panels. The company uses LCD displays in its budget oriented phones like the iPhone XR and the iPhone 11.
Samsung is the go to company for Apple to buy OLED panels as it makes the finest quality panels in the industry. LG has been trying to get its game up but has failed badly in the past; Google used LG’s panels in one of its Pixel phones and it suffered from various issues.
Samsung recently announced that it will be moving away from its LCD business. The South Korean company will continue to make LED panels and of course experiment with new technologies like microLED, mini-LED, and more.
Apple also uses LCD panels in its Apple Watches. The company has invested in Japan Display Inc. a couple of times in the past as well. In the past, Japan Display owed Apple $1.5 billion of which Japan Display paid $700m and brought the debt down to $800 million.
However, the new $200 million by Apple – a reassurance of sorts – brings back the debt to a billion ($1 billion). It has been reported that Japan Display has also secured an additional $830 million from a different source as well.
Apple continues to look for new ways to get its supply of panels. The company likes to control a tight chain and it’s very likely that the company is already planning to develop displays in-house as well.
Apple develops the chips used in the iPhone, the iPad, the Apple TV, and more in-house. The company is reported to be building chips to be in the Mac as well, moving away from Intel. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Apple starts making OLED panels for its new products in the future as well.
