“Apple Inc. will soon land a second supplier for the organic light-emitting diode screens used in high-end iPhones, according to people familiar with the matter, a key step in the U.S. company’s push to reduce iPhone costs and its dependence on Samsung Electronics Co.,” Min Jeong Lee and Sam Kim report for Bloomberg.
“South Korea’s LG Display Co. will initially supply between 2 million and 4 million units, small relative to Apple’s sales, as it continues to work on ramping up capacity, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the matter is private,” Lee and Kim report. “That would however help Apple gain leverage in price negotiations with Samsung, the sole supplier of OLED displays for the iPhone X and Apple’s primary rival in smartphones.”
“The first OLED screens from LG will be used in one model of the new iPhones slated for release this year, the people said. LG wants to supply all the screens for that Apple model, though it’s not clear it can yet achieve that, one of the people said. The shipment is subject to two layers of approval, the first of which is expected around July, the people said,” Lee and Kim report. “Apple is also in discussions with China’s BOE Technology Group Co. to supply OLED displays for iPhones, Bloomberg News reported in February.”
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MacDailyNews Take: Sleep tight, Samsung.
SEE ALSO:
LG Display to produce 6.5-inch OLED displays for next-gen 6.5-inch iPhone as Apple diversifies OLED suppliers – January 3, 2018
LG Display reportedly in OLED supply deal with Apple for iPhone X – December 7, 2017
Apple, LG Display discuss OLED display deal for 2019 – September 7, 2017
LG Display to supply OLED panels to Apple – July 31, 2017
Apple to invest $2.70 billion in LG Display’s OLED production – July 28, 2017
Apple and LG Display plan to derail Samsung’s OLED expansion plans – July 25, 2017
LG Display to invest $3.56 billion in flexible OLED plant – May 30, 2017