Special "notch" required for Apple iPhone 8 OLED panels said to cause low yield rate

It seems that Apple is having an issue with the OLED panels being made for the production of the Apple iPhone 8. The tenth anniversary model is a premium version of the handset, and for the first time it will employ an OLED panel instead of using an LCD screen. A Weibo post by Foxconn Vice President Luo Zhongsheng (who is a legitimate executive of the company) reports that 40% of the OLED panels received by the contract manufacturer are failing to meet the grade at Foxconn because of the specific way that Apple wants the material cut.

The Foxconn executive noted that with this special cut required for the iPhone 8 screen, "iPhone 8 is not cheap." Indeed, months ago speculation started stirring about a retail price for the device that would start in the area of $1,000. The special cut that the Foxconn VP is referring to most likely has to do with the "notch" seen on renders showing the front of the model. The social media posts from Mr. Luo simply refer to this as a "special cutting." Interestingly, the original post was deleted from Weibo later in the Asian day

The Apple iPhone 8 is rumored to include a 5.1-inch active edge-to-edge OLED screen with the remainder of the display dedicated to virtual controls. Deploying an "L"-shaped cell, Apple is expected to increase battery life and screen-size into a handset that will be roughly the size of the Apple iPhone 7. A facial-recognition system will unlock the phone and provide identity verification. Apple will offer wireless charging capabilities with the iPhone 8, which could be unveiled as soon as next month.

source: MyDrivers (translated) via AppleInsider