China-Based BOE to Supply OLED Panels for iPhone 13 Models

[szw-mapple fan]

While it may not feel great from a user standpoint when one supplier provides noticeably better/more consistent quality components, having multiple suppliers is a just a necessity of doing business on this scale.

However the bit about BOE providing OLEDs for repaired/refurbished iPhone's is a pretty significant revelation that was just kind of glossed over in the article. Apple says refurbished devices are "like new" and I've never had reason to doubt them, nor feel that wasn't good enough... until today. The fact that they would use a panel supplier for repairs and refurbishment that wasn't up to QC snuff in time to be a supplier for new iPhones is... disquieting... to say the least even if BOE theoretically did resolve their QC issues after the iPhone launch or managed to ship a small number of panels that were high enough quality. I wonder how long this has been going on and what other product lines see similar things happening with repairs/refurbishment...

Repairs and refurbishments go through a different supply chain and they don’t necessity need to be produced at the scale or rate of parts for new products so it’s a good way to trial a new supplier. It sounds like their yield rate is low because Apple is enforcing pretty strict standards on what it will accept. QC issues from new Apple suppliers is pretty common and they eventually fix their yield or Apple dumps them. Until I’ve seen clear evidence that BOE parts are inferior I will still trust in Apple’s ability to maintain quality.

 

[esaelias187]

wait have they started supplying the oled panels or right now someone else is doing it?

 

[Val-kyrie]

You are saying because you’ve seen their cheaper displays that is worse than others’ more expensive displays you know that their more expensive displays must also be worse in quality?

Any company can make "more expensive" displays. A comparison of their displays to the displays of their competitors reveals the fact that they produce the lowest quality displays for each level of technology. With screen technology, you get what you pay for, and BOE is "low(est) cost."

You don't need to believe me. Do your own research. There are plenty of sites that have compared displays from BOE against the competition and BOE is always adjudged to produce the lowest quality display in that segment. Apple needs to keep/increase the margins somehow.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Any company can make "more expensive" displays.

Do you mean by simply raising the price? Technically yes, but it won’t sell if the quality is lower than the OEM requirements, especially if a competitor can make similar quality panels for cheaper.

A comparison of their displays to the displays of their competitors reveals the fact that they produce the lowest quality displays for each level of technology. With screen technology, you get what you pay for, and BOE is "low(est) cost."

Exactly. Until recently their yield rate of low cost/low quality displays were much higher while their yield of high cost/high quality displays were very low (below 20% vs Samsung’s 80% for equivalent OLED panels). This makes it financially unfeasible for BOE to make high quality panels below production costs while still competing with Samsung. From most reports I’ve seen so far they’ve improved their yield of equivalent high quality panels enough this year (to around 60% to 70%) to be competitive.

You don't need to believe me. Do your own research. There are plenty of sites that have compared displays from BOE against the competition and BOE is always adjudged to produce the lowest quality display in that segment. Apple needs to keep/increase the margins somehow.

I have and I can’t find any recent reports that can corroborate your claims when it comes to equivalent cost panels, but I would like to read it if you can provide any. BOE has made LCDs for Apple for years at the point for the iPad, and I’ve yet to see any reports that it became worse because it was made by BOE rather than someone else, so I don’t think Apple has sacrificed cost for quality so far with BOE.

 

[mi7chy]

BOE is the iPad Mini 6 of OLED.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

BOE is the iPad Mini 6 of OLED.

Is that a metric only understood by certain tech geeks or what?

 

[Val-kyrie]

Do you mean by simply raising the price? Technically yes, but it won’t sell if the quality is lower than the OEM requirements, especially if a competitor can make similar quality panels for cheaper.


Exactly. Until recently their yield rate of low cost/low quality displays were much higher while their yield of high cost/high quality displays were very low (below 20% vs Samsung’s 80% for equivalent OLED panels). This makes it financially unfeasible for BOE to make high quality panels below production costs while still competing with Samsung. From most reports I’ve seen so far they’ve improved their yield of equivalent high quality panels enough this year (to around 60% to 70%) to be competitive.


I have and I can’t find any recent reports that can corroborate your claims when it comes to equivalent cost panels, but I would like to read it if you can provide any. BOE has made LCDs for Apple for years at the point for the iPad, and I’ve yet to see any reports that it became worse because it was made by BOE rather than someone else, so I don’t think Apple has sacrificed cost for quality so far with BOE.

Here is one: https://www.notebookcheck.net/Lenov...erent-14-inch-LowPower-displays.426538.0.html

Also look at tft central.

 

[JM]

Does anyone know if the iPhone 13 mini has this sort of panel lottery? I guess the mini screens are manufactured between Samsung and LG

Bump.

I've been scouring the forums and internet in general to fine out who is making the 13 mini screens! haha ?