China's BOE set to become Apple's second-largest OLED screen supplier in 2021

Sources in the supply chain say that BOE will provide 45 million OLED display panels for the iPhone, making it second only to Samsung, and exceeding LG.

Apple is reportedly planning to order OLED screens from China's BOE during 2020. It's not clear whether those will be an initial test run or actually used in the 2020 "iPhone 12." However, Apple is then believed to ramp up to buying 45 million panels in time to use for 2021's iPhone.

According to RPRNA, reports in the South Korean media say that the order will make BOE the second largest supplier of OLED screens for the iPhone. The publication claims Samsung will continue to make most of the panels, with LG Display dropping to third place.

RPRNA has no clear track record in reporting Apple-related rumors. Monday's claim lines up with previous reports of BOE's ambitions to become an iPhone OLED manufacturer.

BOE is not confining itself to Apple, though, having also become a supplier for Huawei. Apple has also been looking to diversify which manufacturers it uses. It originally used only Samsung for OLED displays but, partly to avoid dependence on a sole supplier, and partly with the aim of competition reducing costs, Apple added LG Display in 2018.

This may also be why Apple has reportedly been investing in the ailing Japan Display company, which was a leading LCD manufacturer but has been slow to pivot to OLED.

Separately, the RPRNA report also repeats the information that "iPhone 12" will use "Apple's A14" processor which is believed to go into trial production early in 2020.

10 Comments

wood1208 2932 comments · 10 Years

About 4 years ago

Well done Chinese government supporting home grown industries to win in global market unlike USA.

lkrupp 10521 comments · 19 Years

wood1208 said:

Well done Chinese government supporting home grown industries to win in global market unlike USA.

We did this to ourselves by demanding the lowest prices on everything. When your competitor moves their manufacturing to China you have no choice but to move to China too. Why? Because the population doesn’t care about wages, working conditions, etc. All the people care about is the price. Put two white dress shirts on a table, one made by union garment makers in America, the other made in a sweat shop in some backwater Chinese factory with basically the same fabric. The one made in the USA is priced at $95.00, the one made in China priced at $49.00. Which one will you buy?

simbalion 24 comments · 11 Years

wood1208 said:

Well done Chinese government supporting home grown industries to win in global market unlike USA.

I can’t even tell what the point of this comment is considering the other two manufacturers are Korean and not US companies.

sflocal 6133 comments · 16 Years

And yet when our US government does anything remotely similar, people cry, whine, and complain screaming “protectionism”, unfair tax subsidies, etc...

viclauyyc 847 comments · 10 Years

"Separately, the RPRNA report also repeats the information that "iPhone 12" will use "Apple's A14" processor "

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