Sharp and Japan Display to Compete for iPhone OLED Panel Orders in 2018

[MacRumors]

More OLED panel makers are gearing up to compete with Samsung and LG for orders from Apple as soon as this year, according to industry sources (via DigiTimes).

Thanks to its existing production capability, Samsung was the sole supplier of OLED display panels for Apple's iPhone X in 2017, which left LG Display under pressure from Apple and scrambling to invest billions in its OLED manufacturing facilities in time to compete for the next round of orders.

That investment appears to be paying off already, with LG Display reportedly in line to supply some OLED panels to this year's new range of iPhones, which is expected to include two new 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch iPhone models with OLED displays. LG Display will supply Apple with the 6.5-inch OLED panels, while Samsung will supply the 5.8-inch panels, according to one report.

Other suppliers now said to be jostling for third and fourth position in the OLED pecking order include Sharp, now a Foxconn Electronics company, and Japan Display (JDI). Both companies are preparing to churn out OLED screens as early as the second quarter of 2018, according to sources, citing Japan-based media reports. Sharp also aims to mount the flexible OLED screens on some of its own premium smartphone models set to launch in 2018, the sources added.

In stark contrast with the state of play early last year, the accelerating trend of Asian suppliers investing in OLED production facilities will "definitely" lead to an excess supply of the panels in the coming years, according to DigiTimes' sources.

China currently has a total of 13 fabs capable of rolling out small- to medium-sized OLED panels. The combined production capacity of these 13 fabs will reportedly reach 350,000 substrates a month if all of them come online, said sources.

The adverse impact of any excess supply is expected to be offset by the increasing adoption of OLED panels in other "premier" models of consumer electronics products, although no examples were offered.

Today's report follows news on Thursday that instead of competing for OLED display supply against Apple, some China-based smartphone makers are turning towards mini LED this year. Huawei, Oppo, and Xiaomi have reportedly asked Taiwan-based suppliers to begin producing mini LED backlighting in June in anticipation of products that would debut in the second half of 2018.

Article Link: Sharp and Japan Display to Compete for iPhone OLED Panel Orders in 2018

 

[ValO]

If there are more suppliers prices of oled panels will go down. I wonder if we , the customers, will notice that in retail prices.
I love the iphone x, but for 2018/2019 the 5.8 should be priced from 899, and the 6.5 inch priced from 999.

Right now, the x is just too expensive to be a real hit with regular consumers.

The 6.1 inch 326p lcd version, just can’ t fix that, only if it is priced at $600 for the 64gb version.

 

[waquzy]

I love the iphone x, but for 2018/2019 the 5.8 should be priced from 899, and the 6.5 inch priced from 999.

Right now, the x is just too expensive to be a real hit with regular consumers.

The 6.1 inch 326p lcd version, just can’ t fix that, only if it is priced at $600 for the 64gb version.

lol, keep dreaming

 

[Avieshek]

Why not prepare for microLED instead?

 

[Berti10]

...still thinking of „next year“ when reading 2018

 

[69Mustang]

Why not prepare for microLED instead?

MicroLED isn't viable yet at the scale needed for mass production. You can't prepare for what you can't use.

 

[44267547]

Interesting to see how this will play out with who will be a future OLED supplier for Apple. Once Apples contract is up with Samsung, that would leave LG being the rumored sole supplier for the 6.5 OLED panel. Which leads Sharp or Japan display for the 5.8 OLED model perhaps. But it will really come down to, is who can mass-produce the amount of OLED panel Apple will need in terms of numbers for Production.

 

[waquzy]

Interesting to see how this will play out with who will be a future OLED supplier for Apple. Once Apples contract is up with Samsung, that would leave LG being the rumored sole supplier for the 6.5 OLED panel. Which leads Sharp or Japan display for the 5.8 OLED model perhaps. But it will really come down to, is who can mass-produce the amount of OLED panel Apple will need in terms of numbers for Production.

Only Samsung can

 

[44267547]

Only Samsung can

I understand that. However, Only At this moment, they can. But they have a contract that will end I believe after 2018 with Apple. Which leads another supplier to step in IF they can provide the panels Apple needs for production as I already stated in my prior post.

 

[HacKage]

If there are more suppliers prices of oled panels will go down. I wonder if we , the customers, will notice that in retail prices.
I love the iphone x, but for 2018/2019 the 5.8 should be priced from 899, and the 6.5 inch priced from 999.

Right now, the x is just too expensive to be a real hit with regular consumers.

The 6.1 inch 326p lcd version, just can’ t fix that, only if it is priced at $600 for the 64gb version.

Not a chance we will see a reduction. The S8 and S8 Plus can be found with hefty discounts at the moment, even though the price for screens is relatively high (The company I work for sell S8 Plus and iPX LCDs at roughly the same price). Apple have set the price, and it will never go below that now. I think the next generation iPX will stay the same price, with a potential iPX+ coming in at £1299/£1449. There is absolutely no technology that they could throw into that phone that would make me pay anywhere near that price though. Even at £999 I refuse to buy out of principal.

 

[kirk.vino]

The quality of the X screeens was already pretty inconsistent. The variance was pretty much insane between the viewing angles, uneven tints, tint shifts, etc. The lottery is gonna get even worse when there are 3 and more suppliers.

 

[macs4nw]

Why not prepare for microLED instead?

Too far out yet; no economies of scale for several years to make them a feasible contender at this stage.

 

[kdarling]

Why not prepare for microLED instead?

The "micro" LED devices you see in production are mostly ~30 PPI wall displays or home TVs.

That's thirty. Three zero. PPI.

Smartphones use 300-450 PPI screens.

Right now, experimental high resolution microLED displays are costly, and mostly monochrome. Mass production high resolution color microLED displays will eventually come, but not soon.

 

[ValO]

The quality of the X screeens was already pretty inconsistent. The variance was pretty much insane between the viewing angles, uneven tints, tint shifts, etc. The lottery is gonna get even worse when there are 3 and more suppliers.

I really haven’ t seen such issues with my and my girlfriends x, or in stores or haven’ t read anything about it. Source?

 

[TheShadowKnows!]

OLED displays are needed today if fingerprint recognition is to be driven under the display. This is the card being played by Apple's high-end Asian competitors.

Their push will be as an ergonomic alternative to FaceID -- no doubt. And they will extoll usable display, while decreasing technical complexity, increasing yields and, most importantly, reversing ever-increasing, end-user costs.

Just this week, fingerprint sensing under the display has been demonstrated by Vivo using Synaptics technology at CES2018. This will not work with LED displays, mini or otherwise.

http://bgr.com/2018/01/10/synaptics-clear-id-fingerprint-sensor-under-display-vivo/

 

[ValO]

OLED displays are needed today if fingerprint recognition is to be driven under the display. This is the card being played by Apple's high-end Asian competitors.

Their push will be as an ergonomic alternative to FaceID -- no doubt. And they will extoll usable display, while decreasing technical complexity, increasing yields and, most importantly, reversing ever-increasing, end-user costs.

Just this week, fingerprint sensing under the display has been demonstrated by Vivo using Synaptics technology at CES2018. This will not work with LED displays, mini or otherwise.

http://bgr.com/2018/01/10/synaptics-clear-id-fingerprint-sensor-under-display-vivo/

Yeah, but what is the point/advantage of an inscreen fingerprint reader vs faceid?

 

[TheShadowKnows!]

Yeah, but what is the point/advantage of an inscreen fingerprint reader vs faceid?

Ok. Here are a few off the top:

1. no need for precise alignment of receptor to emitter with always-on detection
2. reduced complexity and increased yields (see 1)
3. improved mean-time-to-failure and extended battery life (see 1)
4. lower end-user cost (see 1 thru 3)
5. improved ergonomics with "touch anywhere" to authenticate (when the fingerprint is unblocked)
6. improved aesthetics (one-continuous piece of glass -- no discontinuities)
7. perfect display-to-size ratio (see 6)
8. ...

And, yes. Apple will never acquiesce to go back to a TouchId Mark III under the display. FaceId is their signature differentiator, going forward. That much we know given their public comments.

But, if there to be a SE Mark II (a follow-on of the SE, which I have, and love), wouldn't it benefit from an under-the-display fingerprint sensor?

 

[waquzy]

But, if there to be a SE Mark II (a follow-on of the SE, which I have, and love), wouldn't it benefit from an under-the-display fingerprint sensor?

SE 2 will most likely still have the home button

 

[TheShadowKnows!]

SE 2 will most likely still have the home button

Agree. No doubt, if the SE Mark II becomes real -- not just a wish.

 

[kirk.vino]

I really haven’ t seen such issues with my and my girlfriends x, or in stores or haven’ t read anything about it. Source?

MacRumor forums. If you haven’t seen it, great. I’m glad to hear you got 2 good units. I went through at least 5 of them, and 3 of them were pretty bad. There are plenty of bad display units at any store as well. Tint shift and screen uniformity wise. It’s a widespread issue. Why don’t you search the MacRumor forums yourself?

 

[JediZenMaster]

If there are more suppliers prices of oled panels will go down. I wonder if we , the customers, will notice that in retail prices.
I love the iphone x, but for 2018/2019 the 5.8 should be priced from 899, and the 6.5 inch priced from 999.

Right now, the x is just too expensive to be a real hit with regular consumers.

The 6.1 inch 326p lcd version, just can’ t fix that, only if it is priced at $600 for the 64gb version.

I doubt that and the X had a consumer base already as does the 8 and the 8+ to cover different price points.

It’s the same reason as to why there is not a sub 1000 Retina MacBook or MacBook Pro.

 

[ValO]

I doubt that and the X had a consumer base already as does the 8 and the 8+ to cover different price points.

It’s the same reason as to why there is not a sub 1000 Retina MacBook or MacBook Pro.

Yes, that is right, but since yields has improved and apple pays about $140 to samsung for each screen now, but with some competition in oled manufacturing, could go down to about $100.
So it could be interesting to see if apple keeps pricepoints up and collect (even) more profits or that the x will go down to $950-960 with next gen iphone x’ s.

 

[JediZenMaster]

Yes, that is right, but since yields has improved and apple pays about $140 to samsung for each screen now, but with some competition in oled manufacturing, could go down to about $100.
So it could be interesting to see if apple keeps pricepoints up and collect (even) more profits or that the x will go down to $950-960 with next gen iphone x’ s.

That would be interesting unless they decide to do with the X what they did with the Series 2 Apple Watch and just remove it entirely and only lower the price on the 8/8+

 

[Wanted797]

The quality of the X screeens was already pretty inconsistent. The variance was pretty much insane between the viewing angles, uneven tints, tint shifts, etc. The lottery is gonna get even worse when there are 3 and more suppliers.

I doubt one manufacturer would be able to keep up with demand for iPhones. Completely impossible on that scale.

 

[recoil80]

...still thinking of „next year“ when reading 2018

Yeah, me too. But next iPhone is 9 months away, almost an year to me