14 DAY TRIAL // Apple’s plans to reduce reliance on Samsung seem to be working as the next-generation iPhone will use panels manufactured by LG for two of the three models expected to launch.
Apple’s next lineup will include a successor to the iPhone with a 5.8-inch OLED screen, a 6.1-inch LCD configuration, and an iPhone X Plus with 6.5-inch OLED.
According to a new report from Digitimes, the last two models would feature screens manufactured by LG Display, with output to be further increased next year for the 2019 iPhone generation. This means that gradually Samsung would be replaced by LG for iPhone displays, with the South Korean firm to eventually lose the manufacturing contract with the Cupertino giant.
Based on today’s report, LG will ship up to 4 million OLED panels this year, which will presumably be used for the iPhone X plus. Furthermore, LG’s output allows for another 20 million LCD smartphone panels for Apple, which will be used on the more affordable 6.1-inch model.
Cheaper iPhone X?
The E6 manufacturing plant that LG will use for Apple’s products will gradually increase production, with a target of 10 million OLED panels for the 2019 generation.
By the looks of things, Apple anticipates that the LCD model would sell better than its OLED siblings, and this makes sense given the lower price that the company is planning for this particular version.
At the same time, the iPhone X Plus could be the configuration with the slowest shipments this year, which in turn could be an indication that Apple itself expects lower sales of this particular model. This might be an indicator that iPhone X Plus could come with a price that would instead push potential buyers to the other models in the lineup.
Samsung will remain the exclusive supplier of the 2018 iPhone X OLED screens, but given the increasing competition from LG, there’s a good chance panel costs would be reduced, in turn allowing for Apple to make the new models cheaper than the current generation.