LG Innotek aiming at making flexible circuit boards for Apple's 'iPhone 9' - report

LG Innotek is in the process of setting up flexible printed circuit board (PCB) production, with the goal of becoming a primary supplier for the Apple iPhone, according to a report out of LG's home country, South Korea.

"Related facilities" should break ground later in 2017, the Korea Economic Daily said on Monday, citing sources. It's expected that mass produciton will begin sometime in 2018.

Flexible PCBs are considered essential for curved OLED panels on smartphones. Samsung has so far maintained the edge in the field, having used curved OLED on phones since 2015's Galaxy S6 Edge. Indeed this year's "iPhone 8" will allegedly use Samsung panels, despite Apple's tendency to distance itself from its main competitor.

LG Innotek components will presumably have to wait for next year's "iPhone 9." The company could end up splitting orders with Samsung, even if it does win a contract.

Rumors about that device — likely over a year away — have so far been scarce. It will almost certainly support 5G cellular, since Apple is already planning to test the technology.

The "iPhone 8" should feature a 5.8-inch OLED display with an embedded Touch ID sensor, replacing a physical home button with a virtual one. Other upgrades should include an "A11" processor, wireless charging, faster cable charging, and 3D facial recognition.

7 Comments

JinTech 1054 comments · 9 Years

About 7 years ago

Better hold off on buying that iPhone 8! /sarcasm

Herbivore2 367 comments · 8 Years

While it's good to see LG trying to keep up with Samsung, it's essentially over. Samsung is going to rout the entire industry. They are the BEST at developing and manufacturing high end components.

Samsung is a full generation ahead of LG in OLED, produce the best NVM on the market, build the best digital image sensor on the market and on the cutting edge with respect to CPU manufacturing technology.

LG has an advantage in one area. Their battery technology is superior to all others. And Samsung did fall hard on their face with respect to the exploding battery issue in the Note7. Samsung will fix their batteries before LG will be able to compete in OLED panels.

anton zuykov 1056 comments · 9 Years

Herbivore2 said:
Samsung is a full generation ahead of LG in OLED, produce the best NVM on the market, build the best digital image sensor on the market and on the cutting edge with respect to CPU manufacturing technology.

1. Until someone disrupts them with some new tech that is better than the existing OLED.
2. Best sensors? They are one of the best, but not "the best". Sony sensors are really good as well.
As for the CPU, should we recall TSMC vs Sammy CPUs debacle, when Sammy definitely did not produce "cutting edge" CPUs...TSMC did.
Just saying.

tannermo 2 comments · 7 Years

I'm only in the comments because of the 'iPhone 9' phrase.

Even if this fall's OLED iPhone is called 'iPhone 8' - that would still make next years iPhones be 8S. Just threw me off is all. Lol

foggyhill 4767 comments · 10 Years

Herbivore2 said:

While it's good to see LG trying to keep up with Samsung, it's essentially over. Samsung is going to rout the entire industry. They are the BEST at developing and manufacturing high end components.

Samsung is a full generation ahead of LG in OLED, produce the best NVM on the market, build the best digital image sensor on the market and on the cutting edge with respect to CPU manufacturing technology.

LG has an advantage in one area. Their battery technology is superior to all others. And Samsung did fall hard on their face with respect to the exploding battery issue in the Note7. Samsung will fix their batteries before LG will be able to compete in OLED panels.

Manufacturing, yeah, the designing part when it comes to CPU, not so much.