Apple Approves Production of OLED Panels for Foldable iPhone

[MacRumors]

Samsung Display has received Apple's approval to begin module production of OLED panels for Apple's first foldable iPhone, according to a report today from TheElec.

Citing industry sources, the report says Samsung Display has started operating part of its back-end production lines in Vietnam to fulfill an initial order of around three million panels scheduled for delivery this year. Module production approval requires a supplier to demonstrate final assembly quality and mass-production stability, and Apple's threshold is reportedly a yield rate of at least 70%. Samsung Display is said to have passed that bar after achieving final yields above 80%.

Samsung Display is believed to be the exclusive supplier of OLED panels for the foldable iPhone under a three-year agreement, meaning Apple will not source foldable OLED panels from any other display maker during that period. Back-end processing, which includes adding driver circuits, flexible printed circuit boards, and protective components before final inspection and shipment, is being handled at Samsung Display's Vietnam facility. That site has around 80 production lines in total, with roughly 50 currently active, leaving capacity to spare given the relatively modest three million unit order.

The panels are expected to use Color Filter on Encapsulation (CoE) technology, which removes the polarizer and forms a color filter directly on top of the encapsulation layer, along with Samsung Display's newest M16 OLED material set. The M16 stack is said to bring improvements to brightness, color performance, lifespan, and power efficiency over prior generations.

Apple's foldable iPhone is rumored to feature a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover display, along with Touch ID instead of Face ID, an A20 chip, and Apple's C2 modem, with pricing expected to start around $2,000.

Article Link: Apple Approves Production of OLED Panels for Foldable iPhone

 

[SmugMaverick]

Flop written all over this.

Only people buying this are for TikTok who then return it like they did with Vision Pro.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

Can’t wait. For those calling this a flop. Stay in your lane. If it’s not for you, cool. If you want to be an eternal pessimist that’s fine. But a lot of us will enjoy this new tech.

 

[JTK Awesome]

Samsung folding displays, eh?

 

[gleepskip]

Just this morning, Tim has already hiked the price of the iFold three times.

 

[Slix]

There's no way this phone comes out in 2 months, right? If they finally got approval to make it just now?

 

[Lepton]

I’m buying it because I want an iPad mini in my shirt pocket. This seems close

 

[Biro]

There's no way this phone comes out in 2 months, right? If they finally got approval to make it just now?

Three months until the formal unveiling, right? Maybe they hit shelves a month later… like October.

 

[Yourbigpalal83]

Know what i find funny? So many people who have no interests in this phone what so ever, sure are very vocal about it. You do know Tim Cook, or the new guy (i forget his name at the moment) or the ghost of Steve Jobs, is not going to haunt you for sticking with what you got.

You want it to flop, its real simple...DONT BUY THE DAMN THING. Yet, I'll bet you all are the same people who moan how apple doen't do anything new, and your so tired of buying the same damn phone every year...

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

Know what i find funny? So many people who have no interests in this phone what so ever, sure are very vocal about it. You do know Tim Cook, or the new guy (i forget his name at the moment) or the ghost of Steve Jobs, is not going to haunt you for sticking with what you got.

You want it to flop, its real simple...DONT BUY THE DAMN THING. Yet, I'll bet you all are the same people who moan how apple doen't do anything new, and your so tired of buying the same damn phone every year...

100% correct. The people who don’t want this quietly don’t purchase it. The people who are vocal are experiencing FOMO and try to get others to follow their cause.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Know what i find funny? So many people who have no interests in this phone what so ever, sure are very vocal about it. You do know Tim Cook, or the new guy (i forget his name at the moment) or the ghost of Steve Jobs, is not going to haunt you for sticking with what you got.

You want it to flop, its real simple...DONT BUY THE DAMN THING. Yet, I'll bet you all are the same people who moan how apple doen't do anything new, and your so tired of buying the same damn phone every year...

Na, they are the same people who will be talking all that trash today, and will be up at 8 AM Eastern time the day it goes up for pre-order wallets at the ready.
We have seen it time and time again with this website, with the first iPod, the first iPhone, the first iPad, the first watch, the first set of AirPods.

 

[repoman016]

The fold is the only product thats been exciting for me in some time. Watch ultra? who cares. Vision Pro? Who cares. But a new phone build?!? Heck yea. I use a phone every day! 🙂

 

[Yourbigpalal83]

Na, they are the same people who will be talking all that trash today, and will be up at 8 AM Eastern time the day it goes up for pre-order wallets at the ready.
We have seen it time and time again with this website, with the first iPod, the first iPhone, the first iPad, the first watch, the first set of AirPods.

Whats wrong with admiting you want it? i do. Ive waited 6 years for apple to put out a foldable phone of their own. You watch, one they do it, it will legitimize foldable phones, and you'll see them everywhere. Then you'll have the same arguments being made "They dident invent it, they dont invivate no more, samsung did it first..." same as they dident invent the first mp3 player or wireless headphones or smart phone or even home computer. They just happen to do it the best (most of the time).

Same thing with this hatred of the Apple Vision Pro. Id go to the store RIGHT THIS MOMENT and buy one if i could afford one. Yes i know its bulky and heavy and the battery is only 2 hours. Ok. i know this, but from everyone i spoke to, the experence of using it is game changing. Id love to own one, problem is it take me over half a year to save up for one.

This iphone isnt going to be cheep. Even if i trade in my current Iphone 16 pro max and m4 11 inch ipad pro, im still expecting to spend over 1000 dollars on the baseline 256 gig model. Im ok with that. I except its going to be expensive. I except its going to be a first gen item for them with issues im sure. I wish i had the money to be an early adopter and try out new things.

I was their for the first Ipad opening day. I remember saving up for ever to get my first Iphone (the 3GS i believe) and then the 4th gen one, and most of the ones after that.

I was there opening day for the first Apple watch, despite me having used a pebble watch before that. and i dident love every apple product they put out. I dident like the first gen Airpods Max. I returned them. I like the new ones they just put out alot better, they sound better to my ears.

I dont feel the macbooks are all that better then an ipad for what i use it for. I love the Imacs but i wish they updated them more and had more features.

I like the apple watch Ultra and im curious to see what the 4th gen does and if its worth it upgrading from the 2nd gen.

And if apple puts out a product i dont like, i dont go ranking on it for no reason. Not everything they put out i have to buy or love unconditionally.

I just dont get the hate everyone has. Its like, ok, dont buy it then

 

[svish]

Samsung does make excellent displays and hopefully the foldable iPhone will have minimal crease. Waiting to see the first ever foldable iPhone.

 

[ReliableSource]

Know what i find funny? So many people who have no interests in this phone what so ever, sure are very vocal about it. You do know Tim Cook, or the new guy (i forget his name at the moment) or the ghost of Steve Jobs, is not going to haunt you for sticking with what you got.

You want it to flop, its real simple...DONT BUY THE DAMN THING. Yet, I'll bet you all are the same people who moan how apple doen't do anything new, and your so tired of buying the same damn phone every year...

I think at least part of it is that people want to have "the best" iPhone. So you get the Pro Max, you have "the best" one. Any new device muddies the waters a little, and maybe the criteria you use to determine what's best makes the decision tough. And rather than have to choose when it comes time to upgrade and possibly regret their choice, they'd rather just say "they shouldn't make this thing."

 

[Astuces iOS]

Can they also approve the iPad Air please?

 

[JPack]

There's no way this phone comes out in 2 months, right? If they finally got approval to make it just now?

The expectation for availability has always been after September.

Many reports confuse launch with availability. iPhone X was launched in September 2017 but wasn't available until October.

 

[ThisIsMike]

Pretty safe bet this is no longer a $2,000 phone. I’m guessing $2,299 starting price - if we’re lucky.

 

[techTAG]

Flop written all over this.

Only people buying this are for TikTok who then return it like they did with Vision Pro.

I am so glad you speak for all of us! Just to help your metrics out though, you know fact help precise data... I am not on TikTok, I never got the Vision Pro (too expensive and the battery hanging there bothered me), I am also not one to make videos on youtube, instagram, or any other platform, but I will be refreshing like there is no tomorrow to be one of the first people to have this foldable phone.

I have been waiting for this since Samsung released their V1, and I stopped upgrading phones at iPhone 14 waiting for the fold to be released.

Hopefully this helps your data! Happy to answer any other assumptions you may have.

 

[axantas]

Samsung folding displays, eh?

...from the Flip4 - launched in 2022. Always add all the available facts in an information. 😉

 

[deckard666]

I will like most of the population stay completely silent about my current lack of any interest in this product - oh damn !

 

[ofarlig]

There's no way this phone comes out in 2 months, right? If they finally got approval to make it just now?

I am starting to think that there’s just a large lag between when things happen and these “leakers” get hold of the information and releases it. I’d assume approval for something as vital as the screen was done quite a while ago.

 

[JPack]

I am starting to think that there’s just a large lag between when things happen and these “leakers” get hold of the information and releases it. I’d assume approval for something as vital as the screen was done quite a while ago.

It's always been this period. Most people just aren't aware of how the process works.

If Apple approves it early, then yields will be lower. Why would Apple stockpile displays with an inefficient, costly manufacturing process when they are a JIT company? At the current stage, if Apple is still isn't happy with the yields, they can lower the specs to improve yields.

 

[JTK Awesome]

...from the Flip4 - launched in 2022. Always add all the available facts in an information. 😉

The supposedly “creaseless” displays were released too short a time ago, for anyone to know how they’ll hold up after regular use.

 

[axantas]

The supposedly “creaseless” displays were released too short a time ago, for anyone to know how they’ll hold up after regular use.

We should accept some wear and tear after four years of use. Besides that, it holds very well.

I have a Flip4 here - I know, what I am talking aout. I wanted to test that thing.