14 DAY TRIAL // The first iPhone that will come with an OLED display could feature panels manufactured by LG and Samsung, as both companies are very close to signing deals with Apple, according to a new report.
Rumor has it that Apple won’t be making the switch from LCD panels to AMOLED until 2018 or 2019 at the earliest, so with a little luck, iPhone 8 could be the very first model to feature such technology.
And according to reports coming from Korea (via AI), Apple has reached an agreement with LG and Samsung for the manufacturing of OLED screens. The exact time when production is scheduled to start has not been disclosed.
Samsung's and LG’s involvement in Apple products
Both Samsung and LG are already Apple partners for a number of products, but rumor has it that the former was very close to losing a contract with the Cupertino-based company for the manufacturing of the next iPhone chip.
People close to the matter indicated that Apple was very disappointed with the performance of Samsung’s chips on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, which are said to provide reduced battery life as compared to those manufactured by TSMC, so the Korean company was at some point in danger of being ousted from the deal.
On the other hand, Samsung is still part of OLED display negotiations, and this new report claims that, together with LG, it could manufacture the first such panel for the iPhone. Apple, however, played it tough during negotiations, and Samsung has agreed to make OLED displays for a single-digit margin, according to people close to the matter.
LG, on the other hand, is already making the OLED displays for the Apple Watch and could become the exclusive manufacturer for the second generation.
For the moment, take all of these with a pinch of salt, but there’s no doubt Apple will soon make the switch to OLED technology for the iPhone lineup, so it’s all just a matter of time until this happens.