Samsung Begins Running OLED Production Lines for iPhone 8 at Full Capacity

As we enter the season of iPhone production ramp-up stories, news out of Apple's supply chain today reports that Samsung Display is gearing up to operate seven of its next-generation OLED lines at full capacity in August, all of which are dedicated to Apple and the iPhone 8.

According to ETNews, the OLED ramp-up follows a series of inspections that Samsung made on each of the seven lines over the past few weeks in preparation for Apple's much-anticipated OLED-only iPhone 8. Samsung Display is the only supplier of OLED screens for the 2017 iPhone, and the manufacturer is said to see an increase from 15,000 panels per month to 105,000 panels per month following the full scale production increase.

iphone 8 embrace the notch


Samsung Display crafts multiple iPhone screens out of a single of its OLED panels, so if it keeps its production lines at maximum capacity with 100 percent yield, the supplier can produce 130 million 5.8-inch OLED iPhone screens in one year. Of course, the reality is that OLED is difficult to manufacture, and industry watchers believe that the yield rate for the Samsung Display OLED iPhone 8 line will be "at least" 60 percent. Multiple reports this year have pointed towards production delays in the supply chain, potentially leading to a limited capacity iPhone 8 launch.

While Samsung Display will be the sole OLED supplier for the 2017 iPhone, numerous sources have said that a new supplier -- LG Display -- will enter Apple's OLED supply chain in 2018. Apple is said to have invested $2.6 billion into LG Display to help the supplier get set up as a major OLED manufacturer for future iPhones, with Apple pressing LG to be ready as soon as next year. LG Display is also planning to invest $13 billion in OLED production over the next three years, continuing its dominance in the OLED TV screen market and specifically hoping to "make inroads against rival Samsung in smartphone displays."

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

'New' iPhone SE Product Listing Appears on French Website

Wednesday February 12, 2025 6:49 am PST by
As the wait continues for Apple's long-rumored, fourth-generation iPhone SE, French electronics retailer Boulanger has prematurely published a product listing for a "new" model of the iPhone SE. The placeholder page says the device is "coming soon," but it offers no further information, and the price shown is obviously not real. The listing was spotted by a reader of the French technology...
M4 Mac mini Apple Video

Apple's Refurbished Mac Mini Pricing Has a Problem

Thursday February 13, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple this week began selling refurbished Mac mini models with the M4 chip for the first time, but this has led to a pricing conundrum. In the United States, Apple is offering a refurbished Mac mini with the base M4 chip, 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and Gigabit Ethernet for $509, down from $599 new. This is the standard 15% discount that Apple offers on refurbished Macs. The issue is...
iPhone 16 Apple Store

iPhone 17 in New Sizes This Year: What to Know

Thursday February 13, 2025 2:45 am PST by
Last year, Apple tweaked iPhone 16 Pro screen sizes to make them bigger than 2023's iPhone 15 Pro models, and this year we are also expecting a change in the size of the displays in the iPhone 17 lineup. Here's what we know. Standard iPhone 17 Apple could introduce a new display size for the standard iPhone 17 model in 2025. The iPhone 17 could measure in at 6.3 inches, up from 6.1 inches,...
iphone air concept weis

iPhone 17 Air Could Look Like This in Real Life

Friday February 14, 2025 3:41 am PST by
There have been several alleged leaked details of the iPhone 17 Air, Apple's rumored new slim iPhone, but images have been limited to grainy shots taken in component factories. However, this hyper-realistic concept created by WEIS Studio gives us the best idea yet of what Apple's thin device might actually look like. The concept design is inspired by recent leaks indicating that the device...

Top Rated Comments

JPack Avatar
98 months ago
I find it kind of funny that Samsung is basically the only company that can actually supply OLED screens to Apple in the right capacity to launch the iPhone 8 and yet they don't use this as a competitive advantage over Apple.

The iPhone 8 design is heavily dependent on using an OLED screen. If Samsung didn't agree to supply the OLED screens to Apple, there would be no iPhone 8.

I'd be curious to know what kind of secret agreement there is between Apple and Samsung. It can't be just about producing screens and getting a little bit more money out of it.
You overestimate the dependence on OLED and Samsung's competitive advantage. Using OLED is hardly a make or break feature for iPhone. If Apple can remove Touch ID, do you really think OLED is a must? Is there some major deficiency with the iPhone 7 display that needs fixing?

At least one other Korean and three other Chinese companies are producing OLED. Being the sole supplier is not just "a little bit more money." It's a lot of money supplying 200 million units. The Samsung Group is a conglomerate because they do large scale businesses and cut other competitors out. Not supplying Apple with OLED and letting LG, Tianma, BOE, and CSOT take the business this year or next year is short sighted.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zirel Avatar
98 months ago
I find it kind of funny that Samsung is basically the only company that can actually supply OLED screens to Apple in the right capacity to launch the iPhone 8 and yet they don't use this as a competitive advantage over Apple.
Because people want an iPhone and not a Samsung, even if the Samsung has an OLED screen.

And because OLED technology is not exclusive to Samsung. If they don’t give Apple the OLEDs, LG and others would be happy to serve.

Is that difficult to understand?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
truthertech Avatar
98 months ago
I find it kind of funny that Samsung is basically the only company that can actually supply OLED screens to Apple in the right capacity to launch the iPhone 8 and yet they don't use this as a competitive advantage over Apple.

The iPhone 8 design is heavily dependent on using an OLED screen. If Samsung didn't agree to supply the OLED screens to Apple, there would be no iPhone 8.

I'd be curious to know what kind of secret agreement there is between Apple and Samsung. It can't be just about producing screens and getting a little bit more money out of it.
That's not how it works in the business world. First, there would be a new 7s and a new 8, even if it didn't have an OLED screen and there will be many other advances beyond the OLED. The current phone doesn't have OLED, yet smokes Samsung's best phones by such a massive amount in sales that they aren't in the same league.

More importantly, Samsung is a conglomerate and it would be insanity for Samsung to forego billions of dollars in profits, this year and in subsequent years from the sale of OLED screens to Apple. Whatever small percentage of people who would not purchase an iPhone simply because it didn't have an OLED screen would bring an insignificant amount of revenue to Samsung compared to the loss of billions.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPack Avatar
98 months ago
Apple sells roughly around 45 million iPhone per quarter. Only 92 million OLED panels for two years won't be enough to supply everyone with the new OLED iPhone. Therefore many Apple fans won't be able to get the new OLED iPhone on time, even if they can afford one, thus forced to get the iPhone 7S (or something else, but Apple fans will always get iPhone).

Let's assume that both LG and Samsung can provide 200 million panels a year, but only 70 million this year won't be enough for everyone to get OLED...
Not every Apple phone sold is a flagship phone. Apple continues to sell iPhone 6S and SE.

If you look at calendar Q1'17, only 15-20 million units sold per quarter are the flagship iPhone 7 Plus.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LoveToMacRumors Avatar
98 months ago
Time for mass production. Let's go Apple
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChromeCloud Avatar
98 months ago
I find it kind of funny that Samsung is basically the only company that can actually supply OLED screens to Apple in the right capacity to launch the iPhone 8 and yet they don't use this as a competitive advantage over Apple.

The iPhone 8 design is heavily dependent on using an OLED screen. If Samsung didn't agree to supply the OLED screens to Apple, there would be no iPhone 8.

I'd be curious to know what kind of secret agreement there is between Apple and Samsung. It can't be just about producing screens and getting a little bit more money out of it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)