Samsung may become Apple’s chief supplier of flexible OLED displays for future iPhones
What, Apple might use AMOLED displays in the iPhone going forward? Well, yes, if persistent rumors are to be believed, as it has been reported several times now that companies like Samsung, LG, Japan Display and AUO are competing for Apple's attention because on potentially huge orders of AMOLED screen panels for upcoming iPhones.
The latest rumor from Korea is that Samsung has won Apple's nod on the procurement of flexible AMOLED panels, and will invest no less than $7.47 billion in the next year or two in plants and equipment to manufacture them. Samsung already had plans for AMOLED lines expansion, but this investment seems to be much higher than previously thought, indicating that it may indeed be supplying OLED panels for other phone makers, like Xiaomi, Huawei and, well, almighty Apple.
Apple has been rumored to switch to OLED technology for a while, though a reputed analyst cautioned this won't happen with the iPhone 7, but will likely arrive with the eventual iPhone 8 at the earliest. Back in the fall we heard that Samsung is in talks with Apple on being a major supplier of AMOLED screens for the next iPhones, and that latest rumor now indicates this may already be a done deal.
Still, Apple seems to be hedging its bets when it comes to OLED display procurement, as it was also reported to probe Japan Display and AUO as alternative suppliers, while LG is already selling it the flexible screen on the Apple Watch. We asked you last year if you would like to see AMOLED displays in future iPhones, and more than 60% of the respondents said yes, while 25% didn't care, as long as it works. Moreover, this type of display technology is getting on par with LCDs in terms of costs, so the future seems to be bright for the OLED crowd.
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