Samsung to supply curved OLED screens for Apple iPhone 8 coming in 2017

Samsung’s display manufacturing unit is reportedly all set to mass produce OLED (organic light emitting diode) panels for Apple’s forthcoming iPhones. According to Korea Herald, Apple is prepping the launch of an iPhone 7 successor that’ll feature Galaxy S7 Edge like curved flexible OLED display. If the report turns out to be true, it’ll be the first time an iPhone would feature the advanced OLED display panels, as current generation iPhones are still stuck on the conventional LCD displays. The report further adds that Samsung has already started making OLED panels for the rumored iPhone 8, and the Galaxy S7 maker may be the sole supplier of OLED displays for the iPhone 7 successor.

The Korean giant has reportedly been spotted installing manufacturing equipment at one if its plants in the country. The company has set up the new equipment at its A3 OLED manufacturing facility in Korea’s South Chungcheong Province, as it prepares to further increase production of OLED panels. Samsung already has a commanding presence in the OLED market, with a whopping 97 percent market share. However, the Korean giant is planning to triple its production by next year.

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As of now, the Korean giant churns out around 9 million 5-inch OLED display every month, but that figure might witness a significant rise to about 30 million units by next year. This would not create an ample number of OLED displays for Apple’s new iPhone 8, but for other manufacturers as well who can deploy OLED displays in their high-end smartphones.

Meanwhile, even LG is planning to ramp-up its production of OLED screens. Back in November, the company announced its plans to invest $8.71 billion in a manufacturing facility that’ll mass produce panels using OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology. The company said that initially, they will invest 1.84 trillion Won to set up a manufacturing plant in Paju, South Korea. The plant will be called P10, and will mass produce OLED panels across all product categories which include TVs, smartphones, smartwatches along with automobiles.

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Apple to ditch LED technology in future iPhones

It’s indeed high time that Apple ditches the conventional LED technology that it has been used in smartphones since the 1990s. Current generation iPhones still use standard LCD screens, which the company has been using since the first iPhone launched back in 2007.

Analysts predict that the market for OLED screens will see a significant rise in the coming years. According to market research firm IHS, the market for OLED panels is poised to grow from $8.7 billion in 2014 to a $29.1 billion by 2022.

About the author

Abhinav Mishra

Abhinav is technology enthusiast who loves gaming and collecting old-school gadgets. He is awestruck by the amazing impact technology has on our daily lives. At PCT, he is the go-to man for anything gaming or related to smartphones. You can usually find him on PSN blabbering about his MKX skills.