According to The Elec, Samsung is lurking to become the supplier of iPhone 15 OLED displays. The outlet reports that BOE has encountered manufacturing and quality issues and couldn’t meet Apple’s demands.
Despite the fierce competition between Samsung and Apple, and their ads that grill each other, the companies have a close partnership in some segments of the business. Samsung has been a long-time supplier of OLED displays for Apple, and the two companies have a history of working together. If Samsung were to become the OLED supplier for iPhone 15, it would be a significant win for the company, as it would provide a boost to its display business.
BOE was first assigned to work on OLED panels for the base model of iPhone 15. However, Chinese company have trouble producing notched panels, and Samsung might step in to produce the required panels. BOE panels reportedly have light leakage issues as the notch is not properly covered.
Samsung will start producing iPhone 15 displays sooner than expected
BOE is now in hot water because it couldn’t meet Apple standards and schedule. The Apple iPhone 15 launch is scheduled for September 2023, and given the manufacturing issues BOE is facing, the company can’t certainly meet the demands.
Samsung will start manufacturing panels for the iPhone 15 base model in May, one month earlier than planned. The company is also expected to produce panels for iPhone 15 higher-end models. Of course, Samsung is not alone in producing panels for iPhone 15, and LG Display will manufacture LTPO TFT OLED panels for Apple too.
Despite failing to meet the demands and schedule, Apple reportedly hasn’t lost its faith in BOE. The Chinese company entered the Apple supply chain in 2021 and planned to build new factories in Vietnam. Until the problem of light leakage of the displays is not solved, Samsung and LG will continue to produce OLED panels for Apple, but BOE will also return to the iPhone 15 supply chain after the problem is solved.