Apple Reportedly in Talks With Samsung About OLED Displays for Future iPads and MacBooks

[MacRumors]

Samsung is the exclusive supplier of OLED displays for the iPhone X and newer, as part of a supply agreement with Apple. Due to fewer iPhone sales than anticipated in recent quarters, however, Apple has reportedly ordered fewer OLED displays from Samsung than both companies initially expected.

Due to the shortfall, Korea's ETNews reports that Apple now owes Samsung a penalty in the amount of hundreds of millions of dollars. Instead of paying cash, however, the report claims Apple has offered multiple options, including committing to OLED display orders for future products like "tablets and notebooks."

This aligns with a recent report from Korean site The Elec that claimed Samsung is in talks with Apple about supplying OLED displays for an all-new 16-inch MacBook Pro and future iPad Pro models.

MacRumors mockup of 16-inch MacBook Pro​

We first heard about a potential 16-inch to 16.5-inch MacBook Pro from well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said the notebook will launch at some point in 2019 with an "all-new design," but he did not comment on which display technology the notebook will use or share any other details.

Kuo has also previously claimed that two new iPad Pro models will enter mass production between the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020, but again, he did not say which display technology the tablets will use.

Beyond that, Kuo expects Apple to launch several new products with Mini-LED backlights over the next two years, including a 10-inch to 12-inch iPad in late 2020 or early 2021 and a 15-inch to 17-inch MacBook in the first half of 2021, so it's unclear exactly how far away we are from the first OLED-based iPads and Macs.

Apple's transition to OLED started with the Apple Watch, followed by the iPhone X, so the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro would continue that natural progression of the technology from smaller to larger displays.

OLED displays could have several benefits for future iPad Pro and MacBook Pro models, including lower power consumption, increased brightness, sharper colors, and faster response times compared to LCDs. OLED panels are often thinner, too, which could lead to slimmer and lighter product designs.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly in Talks With Samsung About OLED Displays for Future iPads and MacBooks

 

[ryanwarsaw]

Why would Samsung agree to this? Why not take the penalty as Apple has nowhere else to get their screens from anyway?

 

[travis64]

Great more headaches

 

[supertiffany]

Why would Samsung agree to this? Why not take the penalty as Apple has nowhere else to get their screens from anyway?

Apple's pride

And rather than paying cash to Samsung, they can just avoid the penalty by making their tablets and computers use OLED


But that will increase the price

Since when did Apple care about the customersc budget?

 

[hancuriang]

Why would Samsung agree to this? Why not take the penalty as Apple has nowhere else to get their screens from anyway?

From my understanding the division that makes spareparts isnt competing with apple...

 

[CrazyForCashews]

As long as the displays are PWM free then I welcome this change.

 

[A MacBook lover]

I’m still waiting on my 16” air

 

[realtuner]

Why would Samsung agree to this? Why not take the penalty as Apple has nowhere else to get their screens from anyway?

Because they are a business who wants to increase revenues by selling more of their products?

 

[nol2001]

I hope future MacBook displays can be 120fps.

 

[Quu]

Apple now owes Samsung a penalty in the amount of hundreds of millions of dollars.

That's pretty bad. Really shows how fast iPhone sales have been declining in just the past year alone. Compare Q1 2018 to 2019 and it's like a 30% decline in volume.

 

[m0sher]

Why would Samsung agree to this? Why not take the penalty as Apple has nowhere else to get their screens from anyway?

A company has responsibilities to its stockholders to create profits and by not supplying Apple with their OLED panels you leave the table open for LG to take the money .

 

[EldonChew]

Why would Samsung agree to this? Why not take the penalty as Apple has nowhere else to get their screens from anyway?

To secure future orders and act as goodwill to one of their largest, if not largest client?

Apple is the richest company in the world, they won't make useless offers and waste time.

 

[Falhófnir]

Hmm, At Macbook and iPad pixel densities (approx 220ppi and 260ppi) pentile looks really shockingly awful... tbh even 330ppi doesn't look amazing, and I can't see a 458ppi iPad - let alone MacBook (the resolution would be insane to get this density at these sizes). I wonder if they will work on making RGB OLEDs with better longevity?

 

[jonnyb]

Good. My 5.9mm thin iPad Pro is way too thick.

 

[Sedulous]

This is probably one of the worst ideas around.

 

[msama]

I'm not looking forward to the pricing on these... I'm a sucker for oled.

 

[Bin Cook]

So we end up with inferior OLED (compared to Micro LED) because Tim over did the orders?

This company has changed beyond all recognition.

 

[poorcody]

Don't like the idea Apple will be choosing display types, at least in part, because of this.

 

[AvisDeene]

Have all the issues with OLED been worked out? I haven’t jumped on the OLED train yet, but I remember hearing that it has issues with screen burn in. Wouldn’t the risk be worse with larger screens? I’d rather Apple or Samsung finish their development of micro-LED.

 

[Freida]

IF that happens I'll buy older generation. Not supporting OLED nonsense in a computer let alone tablet. That tech is inferior to LED. Not to mention the price tag + headaches.

 

[RogerWilco]

So we end up with inferior OLED (compared to Micro LED) because Tim over did the orders?

This company has changed beyond all recognition.

Good point, after all the “leaks” of micro-LED display wonders purportedly just around the corner, we find it was just more posturing and manipulation that Cook uses to keep the investment community interested.

 

[Falhófnir]

Have all the issues with OLED been worked out? I haven’t jumped on the OLED train yet, but I remember hearing that it has issues with screen burn in. Wouldn’t the risk be worse with larger screens? I’d rather Apple or Samsung finish their development of micro-LED.

Not necessarily even the size, more that a desktop OS like macOS has a lot more static elements that are displayed in the same place for long periods of time (dock, menu bar) vs a mobile one like iOS where you will frequently get changing apps taking over the full screen.

 

[trusso]

Great more headaches

Right?

Let's continue pushing 5G and OLED down America's throats, even though there are valid concerns regarding the adverse health effects of these technologies. (But, like, money!)

And in 15 years, when the class action suits start to pile up, big tech and telecom gonna be like: "Phwhoat?" "We had no idea!"

 

[nph]

Also this is the first I heard that OLED are more energy efficient than LEDs. Thought it was the other way around...

 

[jhwalker]

First MacBook Pro with a 5-digit price?

 

[tegranjeet]

Not necessarily even the size, more that a desktop OS like macOS has a lot more static elements that are displayed in the same place for long periods of time (dock, menu bar) vs a mobile one like iOS where you will frequently get changing apps taking over the full screen.

Actually, you can auto hide both the dock and menu bar so burn in issues wouldn't be an issue if you did that. And you can rotate the desktop picture every minute or five minutes.

Personally I do this and I find the screen real estate gain to be quite significant.