Earlier in July, a report by The Korea Herald suggested that Apple and supplier LG Display were working on a deal that would see Apple investing $1.75-2.62 billion into LG Display's OLED manufacturing, specifically a plant that would be exclusively devoted to Apple orders. Today, Reuters has provided a few more details on LG Display's plans to enter the OLED display market for smartphones, which rival Samsung Display currently dominates.

In total, LG Display plans to invest $13.5 billion into boosting its output of OLED screens over the next three years, covering TV screens and specifically hoping to "make inroads against rival Samsung in smartphone displays." LG Display is already the OLED leader in large-screen television displays, but now the supplier is said to be seeking a strong foothold in the OLED screen market for smartphones, coming in the wake of OLED-backed iPhone 8 rumors and Apple's reported plans to go OLED-only on iPhones beginning in 2019, and perhaps even 2018.

lg display logo
LG Display will invest around $4.5 billion for a new production line that will create flexible OLED panels to help bolster its position in the auto display and smartphone market, and another $2.5 billion will be saved for another line of "large-size OLED screens." In regards to lines dedicated to small and mid-sized OLED displays, it's said that Apple will help out with getting the lines up and running, continuing the investment rumors began earlier this month.

Around 5 trillion won is earmarked for a new line for flexible OLED aimed at bolstering its position in auto displays and smartphones while 2.8 trillion won will go toward a separate new line for large-size OLED screens. Both production lines will be located in Paju, northwest of Seoul. Its planned 15 trillion won investment over three years implies an average of 5 trillion won in capital spending per year, above its usual 4 trillion won, but analysts said it will probably not be enough.

"For small and mid-sized OLED, it is expected to receive additional investment from somewhere else, perhaps Apple," said Lee Min-hee, analyst at Heungkuk Securities. "One production line for small and mid-sized OLED can require nearly 10 trillion won in investment. LG doesn't have the firepower to single-handedly build a lot of OLED production lines."

Apple's current OLED deal with Samsung will see the manufacturer supply 92 million OLED panels over the next two years. In The Korea Herald's report from early July, it was rumored that LG Display's OLED output for Apple would gear up in 2019, aligning with the end of Apple's contract with Samsung. A rumor this week has also pointed towards Apple's plans to develop its own OLED technology to reduce its reliance on suppliers like Samsung Display.

Apple's launch of the first-ever OLED iPhone is widely expected to be coming later this fall, in the majorly redesigned "iPhone 8," while more iterative updates in the "iPhone 7s" and "iPhone 7s Plus" will receive traditional LCD screens.

Top Rated Comments

DHagan4755 Avatar
74 months ago
Lest you forget the rumor that Apple's also interested in OLED panels for its MacBooks.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
74 months ago
Wish LG would already provide OLED panels for the upcoming iPhone 8, LG OLED tech is superior to Samsung OLED.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
voice isolation

iOS 16.4 Adds Voice Isolation for Cellular Phone Calls

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:01 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today. Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa. Voice...
TMobile Sprint

Apple Stops Allowing Sprint iPhone Activations, Removes Sprint References From Online Store

Thursday March 23, 2023 12:06 pm PDT by
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store. When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint...
airpodsd 3 purple 4

iOS 16.4 Seemingly References New AirPods and AirPods Case

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:43 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 release candidate version that was provided to developers today appears to hint at a new set of AirPods that could be coming in the near future. According to @aaronp613, the beta features references to AirPods that have a model number of A3048 and an AirPods case with a model number of A2968. There have been no rumors that new AirPods are on the horizon, and it is early for...