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Apple Considering Adding China's BOE as OLED Supplier for 2018 iPhone
Apple is in discussions with China's BOE Technology Group to supply OLED screens for the 2018 iPhone, reports Bloomberg. The Cupertino company is looking for ways to shore up its OLED supplies as the iPhone transitions from LCD to OLED displays.
Apple has been testing BOE's OLED displays for months, according to Bloomberg, but it isn't yet sure whether to add the company as a supplier. BOE is one of China's largest display makers, recently spending about $14.5 billion on two AMOLED factories. Talks are too early to allow BOE to contribute displays for Apple's 2017 OLED-based iPhone, known as the iPhone 8, but BOE is hoping to contribute to the 2018 iPhone supply.
If Apple and BOE agree to a deal, the Chinese manufacturer will become Apple's first OLED supplier outside of South Korea and Japan. In November, it was reported that Apple's OLED suppliers, which include Samsung, LG, Sharp and Japan Display, would not be able to meet demand for the 2017 iPhone. The worldwide shortage of OLED displays is thought to be one of the reasons why Apple is limiting the feature to the high-end device, while the regular iPhone 7s and 7s Plus are said to feature LCD displays.
One of BOE's new factories will open this summer while another will open a couple years later. When they're up to full capacity, BOE says they'll be able to produce 1.6 million square-meters of flexible glass substrates (surfaces that displays are carved out of) a month.
Samsung will exclusively produce OLED displays for iPhones in 2017, with Apple opening up to LG, Sharp and Japan Display in 2018.
Apple has been testing BOE's OLED displays for months, according to Bloomberg, but it isn't yet sure whether to add the company as a supplier. BOE is one of China's largest display makers, recently spending about $14.5 billion on two AMOLED factories. Talks are too early to allow BOE to contribute displays for Apple's 2017 OLED-based iPhone, known as the iPhone 8, but BOE is hoping to contribute to the 2018 iPhone supply.
If Apple and BOE agree to a deal, the Chinese manufacturer will become Apple's first OLED supplier outside of South Korea and Japan. In November, it was reported that Apple's OLED suppliers, which include Samsung, LG, Sharp and Japan Display, would not be able to meet demand for the 2017 iPhone. The worldwide shortage of OLED displays is thought to be one of the reasons why Apple is limiting the feature to the high-end device, while the regular iPhone 7s and 7s Plus are said to feature LCD displays.
One of BOE's new factories will open this summer while another will open a couple years later. When they're up to full capacity, BOE says they'll be able to produce 1.6 million square-meters of flexible glass substrates (surfaces that displays are carved out of) a month.
Samsung will exclusively produce OLED displays for iPhones in 2017, with Apple opening up to LG, Sharp and Japan Display in 2018.
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Top Rated Comments
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34 months ago
People are going to return their phone when they find out their OLED display is not made by Samsung
34 months ago
When can we get rumors of OLED iPads? Thinking about that makes me quite moist.
34 months ago
Wherever they source the parts from, Apple needs to be actively involved in quality control and in every part of the production and training. Apple has lately begun to slip on this front.
34 months ago
Here's where Apple tell us how much better OLED panels are compared to IPS and how much of a bold step forward this is.
34 months ago
People are going to return their phone when they find out their OLED display is not made by Samsung
Exactly. There will be numerous threads hundred of pages long about how to tell the difference and returning it. The irony that it takes a thread for them to be able to discern the difference or even be aware that a difference exists will be lost in the frenzy.
34 months ago
PLEASE APPLE DO NOT USE CHINESE KNOCKOFF SCREENS IN YOUR MOST IMPORTANT PRODUCT!!!!
34 months ago
I don't care where it comes from, I need me some OLED ASAP!!
[doublepost=1487139477][/doublepost]
[doublepost=1487139477][/doublepost]
When can we get rumors of OLED iPads? Thinking about that makes me quite moist.
A retina OLED MacBook would also be outstanding.
34 months ago
PLEASE APPLE DO NOT USE CHINESE KNOCKOFF SCREENS IN YOUR MOST IMPORTANT PRODUCT!!!!
What about the OLED panel is a knockoff?
I'm genuinely curious as to if you have some insider knowledge here or if this is just casual racism because its a Chinese manufacturer?
I mean, the iPhone itself is assembled in China and always has been across the iterations so I really don't understand why the location of the screen manufacturer is a problem.
But yeah, please do let me know.
34 months ago
What i would give for a...
-3.5" OLED iPhone
-no camera bump
-2-day battery life.
-headphone port
-better music/ipod app
*sigh*...one can dream.
Even though i never owned one, aesthetically speaking, the iPhone 4/S was the best looking IMHO
Especially that part, although I did own one. The 4s was my favorite iPhone design. IMO, it was the most beautiful and the most unique designed phone, not just iPhone...[doublepost=1487175929][/doublepost]
racism is spewed far too much these days and used incorrectly by people that have no clue what it means. Chinese is not even a race.
This is true.
It happens all the time on MR (or any other forum), it is basically trolling, trying to get reactions from people, but reporting it usually doesn't work.
[doublepost=1487176042][/doublepost]
Apple, please sell it only in China.
Why the hate against Samsung? You know that flash drive in your iPhone? 50% chance is made by Samsung. You know that screen in your iPhone? 50% chance is made by Samsung. You know that RAM in your iPhone? 50% chance is made by Samsung.
What does realeric's post have to do with Samsung? Maybe you miss understood it. Or maybe I did.
34 months ago
People are going to return their phone when they find out their OLED display is not made by Samsung
Doubtful, but it would be funny if the Chinese OLED is better than Samsung's. Remember when people complained about not getting a Samsung chip vs TSMC? It turned out that the chip from TMSC was better, lol.
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