Samsung has reportedly received the go-ahead from Apple to manufacture OLED displays for the iPhone 15 series. The Korean firm will make OLED panels for all four models: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. It’s currently the only confirmed supplier of the next-gen iPhone displays, with LG and BOE still awaiting Apple’s approval. BOE currently has quality issues and may lose the contract to Samsung, the Korean media reports.
Samsung is the world’s largest manufacturer of OLED displays for smartphones. It supplies the displays to all major brands, including Apple. However, companies usually diversify their supply chains and source components from multiple suppliers to get competitive prices. This also helps them avoid last-minute shortages of components should one of their suppliers run into some issues. They can quickly award the contract to other suppliers.
This is what Apple does for its iPhone displays. While it primarily uses Samsung-made displays, the company also sources a portion of its display needs from other brands. Last year, Apple used OLED displays from LG in some iPhone 14 Pro Max units. The Korean firm had a bigger order but was forced to hand a portion of it to its compatriot Samsung due to yield issues at the last minute. Samsung eventually overcharged Apple because it had to deploy extra production equipment to meet this urgent need.
This year, Apple is increasing its share of LG displays in the iPhone 15 series. It has given LG a major contract for manufacturing OLED displays for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, the Korean firm has yet to get the final approval. According to The Elec, it is facing production disruptions, so Apple is waiting for it to fix those issues. If LG doesn’t fix its issues in time, Samsung may once again walk away with a bigger initial order.
Samsung may also benefit from BOE’s struggles
BOE is another name in Apple’s iPhone 15 display supply chain. However, the Chinese firm may soon find itself out of it if it doesn’t fix its technical problems. The company is reportedly struggling to perfect the Dynamic Island design (cutout at the top), which Apple plans to employ on all four iPhone 15 models this year. If BOE fails to solve the issue, the Cupertino giant may hand over the contract to Samsung. The iPhone 15 series should be here next month if Apple sticks to its traditional September launch timeline.