Samsung May Invest Over $7 Billion to Supply OLED Displays for Future iPhones

Samsung Display is close to reaching an agreement with Apple to supply flexible OLED displays for future iPhones, and will invest up to $7.47 billion in OLED manufacturing equipment to fulfill orders, according to Korea-based ET News.

iphonedisplay
Samsung's display-making division will reportedly increase OLED display production by 30,000 to 45,000 panels per month this year, followed by an additional 45,000 substrates each month in 2017, per the terms of its nearly finalized contract.

OLED manufacturing and inspection equipment will primarily come from South Korean display businesses AP Systems and HB Technology, the report claims.

Multiple reports claim Apple will launch iPhones with OLED displays in 2018. In addition to Samsung Display, the OLED panel orders may be spread out over a number of suppliers, possibly including AU Optronics, LG and Japan Display. All three display makers have supplied Apple with LCD panels for existing iPhones.

Apple is reportedly operating a Taiwanese factory where a team of engineers are developing thinner, lighter and brighter displays for future Apple devices. The secretive lab may be specifically focused on flexible OLED and Micro-LED display technologies for use in future-generation iPhones.

Tags: OLED, Samsung
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center

How to Use iOS 18.4's New Ambient Music Feature in Control Center

Thursday March 27, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week. To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

iPhone Foldable Display Said to Feature iPad-Style 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Friday March 28, 2025 3:44 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming "iPhone Fold" will feature a foldable screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, according to a Chinese leaker who previously leaked the book-style device's display dimensions. The Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station claims that Apple will adopt a "roughly" 4:3 aspect ratio on the inner display in order to achieve consistency between the outer display, as well as to ensure parity...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...

Top Rated Comments

icolove Avatar
120 months ago
Samsung have no values. I wish Apple would go vertical regarding displays or at least not partner with Samsung so they suffer the karma they deserve.
Businesses generally shouldn't be run like schoolyard scuffles.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
muadibe Avatar
120 months ago
It seems Samsung has more confidence in Apple than Wall Street analysts.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mantan Avatar
120 months ago
Samsung have no values. I wish Apple would go vertical regarding displays or at least not partner with Samsung so they suffer the karma they deserve.
That's a naïve and simplistic view of how the real business world works. Apple and Samsung are each multibillion dollar companies driven by never ending goal of growing profits and revenue. They both have made billions off of their relationship. While they may have clashed on a few items in the consumer good side, as a supplier their relationship has a huge success for both of them.

Apple would be crazy to try to 'go vertical' and invest the time, money and infrastructure trying to build the capacity/knowledge to do build what Samsung is able to provide.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JaySoul Avatar
120 months ago
Samsung and Apple - frenemies for life.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AdonisSMU Avatar
120 months ago
One hand washes the other.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bubba Satori Avatar
120 months ago
Samsung have no values. I wish Apple would go vertical regarding displays or at least not partner with Samsung so they suffer the karma they deserve.
Enemy mine.
At some point in time it would probably be a good idea to just give it up, move on and enjoy all the great stuff Apple gives us. At least from a mental health perspective. Deeply embedded Samsung neurosis is not easily treated by OTC medications. Just sayin'.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)