Samsung remains the sole supplier of iPhone OLEDs

Dec 28, 2017 09:59 GMT  ·  By

Apple finally made the switch from LCD to OLED this year with the iPhone X, and Samsung was the sole supplier of these panels for the existing generation.

And while Apple is expected to work with Samsung at least for one more year, it’s believed the company is trying to reduce reliance on its South Korean partner and look elsewhere for OLED screens for its iPhone lineup.

LG Display was one of the possible partners, with several sources familiar with the matter confirming ongoing talks during the summer and hinting at plans to produce iPhone X displays by the end of the year.

But in a regulatory filing this week, LG says it hasn’t built a single OLED panel for Apple’s iPhone X, adding that a deal with the US-based giant is yet to be reached.

Speculation that made the headlines earlier this year indicated Apple invested in a new LG production facility that was supposed to be focused entirely on building displays for the iPhone. With this partnership, Apple was said to be looking into reaching an output that would have made it possible to step away from its collaboration with Samsung.

Samsung making a fortune thanks to iPhone X

Until now, however, Samsung remains the exclusive supplier of iPhone X displays, and by the looks of things, it’ll continue to be the only company building such panels in the first half of 2018 as well.

Recent media reports indicated that Apple plans to purchase no less than 200 million OLED displays from Samsung in 2018, which translates to $22 billion in revenue for the South Korean giant.

Samsung built approximately 50 million iPhone X displays this year alone, according to estimates, with yield rates reaching 90 percent in December and likely to increase to the maximum level by the end of the year or in early 2018.

Apple is looking into expanding its OLED iPhone lineup next year with a second model featuring such technology, so in the end LG might not necessarily replace Samsung entirely, but join it as the secondary supplier of such panels for the 2018 generation.