When it comes to the shortlist of suppliers supplying Apple displays destined for this year’s iPhone 14 series, Samsung has reportedly found it to be the best choice with its Display arm.
According to a report by the South Korean news publication ETNews (opens in new tab), “industry insiders” claim Apple has formally approached Samsung Display with an order for approximately 80 million displays to be delivered in the third quarter (July-September) of this year; for the iPhone 14‘s expected release in September.
Details of the order confirm that this year’s crop of devices won’t host an iPhone 14 Mini (as in the past two generations of iPhone), with only two screen sizes intended for four separate models.
Based on the device setup previously suggested by a reputable leaker Ming Chi Kuo’the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro will use a 6.1-inch panel, while just under half of the total order will go to the larger iPhone 14 Max and top iPhone 14 Pro Maxboth of which will have a 6.7-inch screen the way Apple wants to make it best iPhone sometime in 2022.
Samsung Display will use two different manufacturing methods for the OLED displays that make up this order: LTPS-TFT and LTPO-TFT, with the latter offering greater energy efficiency than the former, believed to be coming to the two Pro models in the future. the iPhone 14 family go .
The standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max will likely use more modest LTPS-TFT technology, which offers lower refresh rates and slightly lower display quality.
Analysis: screening the competition
While 80 million units from a single supplier would be a huge win for Samsung Display, it’s not a good sign for Apple fans hoping for more affordable iPhones this year.
The more manufacturers there are able to meet Apple’s requirements and quality standards, the greater the competition, leading to lower prices for components and, in turn, savings that can – in theory – be passed on to consumers.
In the past, fellow South Korean manufacturer LG Display has often supported Samsung in providing Apple displays for its iPhones. More recently, however, the two were joined by Chinese supplier BOE Technology.
BOE has been making since the iPhone 12though it’s not yet clear whether or not the California-based company is placing orders with BOE for the iPhone 14.
Apple only recently resumed production of iPhone 13 displays with BOE after it was revealed that the Chinese company had cut back its manufacturing processes (as reported by 9to5Mac (opens in new tab)) to reduce costs, without informing the iPhone maker in advance.
While BOE’s reinstated position as a parts supplier for the iPhone 13 does not guarantee any involvement in the production of the iPhone 14, according to GSMArena (opens in new tab)Apple is reviewing their validity as a potential supplier this week, which could lead to more competition for Samsung Display’s total orders and, again, the potential for a more affordable iPhone.