Mike Peterson
China-based display manufacturer CSOT is looking to enter Apple's LCD supply chain for iPad and MacBook screen orders, according to a new report.
Li Dongsheng, the chairman of CSOT parent company TCL, is expected to soon visit Apple Park in Cupertino. According to The Elec, that meeting is aimed at winning supply orders for LCD panels.
The chairman also recently visited South Korea to meet local component manufacturers, as well as Samsung. He will also visit Japan after his trip to the U.S.
CSOT is a competitor to BOE, another Chinese display maker and a current Apple supply chain partner.
Earlier in 2022, Apple was said to be evaluating CSOT as a potential OLED supplier for iPhone models. The Chinese firm was said to be forming a team to evaluate the suitability of its production lines for OLED display manufacturing.
The company's plan to expand will put it in direct competition with other Apple suppliers, including both BOE and LG Display. The latter of those two companies is the supply chain leader for Apple devices like MacBook Pro models.
Apple has taken steps to diversify its supply chain, and doing so could give the iPhone maker a leverage point to pressure other display manufacturers to cut unit prices.
The Elec is mostly reliable when it comes to moves by Apple's suppliers and vendors wanting to enter the chain. It is less accurate predicting the outcome or ramifications of those moves.
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9 Comments
The sooner the U.S. weans itself off exclusive reliance on cheap Chinese manufacture of critical goods, the better. Act now before China becomes the new Russia and starts squeezing our necks.
Apple is a high quality product maker. To become an Apple supplier cheap is not the qualifying issue.