Apple is looking for more suppliers of OLED screens for its iPhones. The company reportedly wants to break the bargaining power of the South Korean giant Samsung which is a leader in display manufacturing.
A new report suggests that the Chinese screen manufacturer BOE is planning on supplying 50 million OLED panels to Apple. The iPhone maker appears to be looking for display partners rather than just relying on Samsung. The company is also reportedly finalizing a deal with LG Display (another Korean company) which will supposedly supply 70 million display panels.
Goal is to break Samsung’s bargaining power
Samsung will however continue to lead in terms of supplying the number of OLED panels to Apple. The iPhone maker will receive 150 million OLED panels from the South Korean giant which also happens to be its competitor in the smartphone world.
The current generation iPhone 13 series uses displays from both Samsung and LG Display. The iPhone 13 Pro and the iPhone 13 Pro Max uses LTPO panels manufactured by Samsung whereas the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 mini uses displays manufactured by LG Display.
To increase the supply of OLED panels to Apple, the Chinese display maker BOE is reportedly planning to revamp its manufacturing plants to better suit the needs of the iPhone maker. BOE has three factories under its helm which could soon see some overhaul. At the moment, it supplies screen replacement panels for the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13.
The display panels supplied by BOE to Apple reportedly account for just 10% of the total requirement of the iPhone maker. However, the Chinese display maker is expected to receive more supply orders for iPhone displays. Apple is planning to spread its orders to different manufacturers – Samsung, LG Display, and BOE.
The upcoming 2022 flagship iPhone series could use OLED panels from different display manufacturers.