“Apple reportedly has signed a two-year contract with Samsung Display for the supply of KRW10 trillion (US$9 billion) worth of small-size curved OLED panels, according to Korea-based ET News, Chosun Biz and other media,” Yiling Lin and Steve Shen.
“Based on the contract, Samsung Display will ship 70-92 million small-size OLED panels to Apple in 2017, said the reports,” Lin and Shen report. “This means that about 30% of iPhone devices shipped in 2017 will come with curved OLED panels, given that Apple currently ships about 200 million iPhone devices a year.”
“Japan-based Nikkei also reported that Apple has ordered 70 million OLED panels from Samsung Display,” Lin and Shen report. “But to meet increasing demand from Apple, Samsung Display has been exerting efforts to ramp up its capacity to 95 million units.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It’s too bad Apple is forced to continue doing business with one of the most egregious serial thieves of Apple’s trade dress and IP.
Here’s hoping other display makers can get up to speed and take some, and eventually all, of Apple’s prodigious business away from the slavish copier.
SEE ALSO:
Sharp increases OLED-investment plan to $878 million as Apple’s next iPhone to feature OLED – March 7, 2017
Apple supplier Sharp may begin building $7 billion U.S. plant in within months as Japan PM meets President Trump – February 8, 2017
Foxconn-Sharp considering LCD plant in USA, plans in response to President-elect Trump’s ‘Make in America’ call – January 13, 2017
With President Trump soon to take office, Apple looks to boost its ‘Made in America’ credentials – January 10, 2017
Sharp President confirms Apple iPhone transition to OLED displays – October 31, 2016
No, Apple’s plans for an OLED iPhone aren’t on hold – October 18, 2016
What if Apple iPhone adopts AMOLED next year? – October 3, 2016
Apple in talks with Sharp to supply OLED screens for future iPhones – September 30, 2016
Apple supplier Sharp names Foxconn exec as CEO to spearhead revival – May 12, 2016
Apple supplier Sharp preps AMOLED displays after Foxconn acquisition – April 6, 2016
Did Apple help Foxconn buy Sharp? – March 31, 2016
Apple supplier Foxconn agrees to buy Sharp after slashing original offer – March 30, 2016
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
I’m very skeptical of anything Nikkei writes. That being said, if this is true then the mdn take is right on. Hopefully someone else can provide these type of panels. I seem to remember Apple patenting some I g called micro-led, which is some sort of hybrid between OLED and LCD-TFT. Maybe that’s the discussion lay they’re manufacturing, given OLED panel’s perpensity for white balance issues.
I don’t know where Samsung’s manufacturing facilities are located but if they are anywhere around Seoul Apple should be hedging their bets on chips and screens since Trump will likely bomb N. Korea in the next 12 months and Grand Poo Bah Kim Jung-Un will rain holy hell down on Seoul in response.
I think N. Korea has something like 25,000 conventional weapons arrayed along the border and aimed at Seoul, 25 miles to the south.
Maybe we could get some guys to travel to N. Korea to interview Great Leader Un?
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/kim-jong-un-not-laughing-new-comedy-assassination-plot-article-1.1840160
Apple has enough money to invest in the ability to make their own displays. They aren’t “forced” to continue funding these criminals, they stupidly choose to.
“We have amazing factories in the pipeline!”
It’s not about having enough money. Building and running a display plant takes time and trained personnel (to both build and run). Obviously the profit from such a huge investment isn’t worth the effort or Apple would have done that by now. It’s just a bad way for them to spend their money…
A deal w/ the devil..
Tim Cook really knows how to punish Samsung for ripping off Apple’s IP.
Maybe the good folk at MDN will boycott the new Samsung screens. That will show Apple!
Samsung has a big advantage in being a massive conglomerate with multiple divisions. Their display group has been one of the most advanced and benefits from the ability to invest quickly in emerging technology.
Unfortunately for Apple, they have to use suppliers that can provide them with the quality and quantity for components to their devices. With the need to make 30-50M units for the first quarter of a iPhone launch, Apple have to go with suppliers who can provide that volume.
I just think it’s kind of funny that we live in world where these two rivals have to continue to cooperate. Apple must just hate it, but what can you do? You know they would do anywhere else if they could find equivalent quality and quantity.
It’s a small world at the top. 😉
So if anything unfortunate happens to these future devices, blame ScamDung