Apple will reportedly tap LG as the second supplier apart from Samsung that will manufacture OLED displays for the iPhone, the 10th-anniversary iPhone the company plans to unveil this fall, according to rumors.
LG Will Make iPhone 8 OLED Displays Too
Previous rumors suggested only Samsung will do the job, but a new report from reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities says LG will join the supply chain, resulting in a more diversified production.
As 9to5Mac reports, several factors shed light on this notion: first, Kuo says the OLED display "has been the single most troublesome component for Apple." Because Samsung holds expertise and know-how in that department, it's only safe to assume Apple has lost its bargaining power. Thus, Kuo believes Apple will commit to LG Display for production of OLED displays for iPhones due in 2018.
Kuo believes partnering with LG might even boost the overall production rate of the panels if LG chooses to collaborate will a back-end process provider such as General Interface Solution, or GIS.
"GIS likely favored to team up with [LG display] in OLED for credentials in lamination, experience with MegaSite & advantages of vertical integration with Hon Hai," Kuo explained.
Earlier in July, rumors came out suggesting Apple was attempting to strike a deal with LG to invest billions of dollars in a new facility that will exclusively crank out OLED displays for Apple. Reports say Apple and LG have reached a tentative agreement with regard to the plan, though timing and the exact investment amount remain uncertain, perhaps undisclosed.
iPhone 8 Rumors
All these only further support the rumor that the iPhone 8 will indeed sport OLED displays — the first time in the history of iPhones. All iPhone models up to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus feature LCD displays, so the transition might be causing Apple's reported production difficulties.
In addition, rumors say Apple will get rid of the home button, which begs the question: where does it plan on putting the Touch ID scanner? Well, rumors say Apple has figured out how to put one underneath the screen, an innovation Samsung reportedly failed to figure out in time for the release of the Galaxy S8. Alternatively, Apple might push for a 3D facial recognition technology.
The iPhone 8 will launch with two iterative iPhone models: the iPhone 7s and the iPhone 7s Plus, rumors say. The flagship model will reportedly cost more than $1,000.
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