Apple has reportedly inked a deal with Samsung Display to supply it with an extra 60 million OLED panels for the upcoming iPhone.
Apple previously agreed a deal with Samsung to produce 100 million OLED panels for the iPhone 8, suggesting that this handset could turn out to be even more popular than Apple originally thought it would be — or that Apple’s planning to expand OLED displays beyond merely its top-line flagship handset.
Interestingly, this report comes shortly after another stating that OLED displays would be limited only to one of the three new iPhone models that Apple is set to issue in 2017. According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, only the larger of the flagship iPhone 8 is set to come with an ultra-sharp OLED display, while two other iPhones Apple will also launch in 2017 will not.
However, given that Apple typically sells around 200 million iPhones each year, an order of 160 million OLED panels would make up almost 80 percent of its entire iPhone sales.
In other words, unless Apple is expecting to sell an abnormally large amount of iPhones this year, or is expecting incredibly small sales for its non-flagship devices, there is a good chance that it could expand the number of devices which sport OLED displays.
At present, Samsung boasts OLED for around 70 percent of its smartphone models, including its flagship S series. Samsung Display holds about 95 percent of the mobile OLED market, although rival company LG Display is said to be ramping up its OLED production, with an eye on becoming an OLED supplier to Apple from next year.
Source: TheInvestor
