Apple Orders 70 Million OLED iPhone Panels from Samsung

Apple seems to be gearing up for its new iPhone, expected later this year, with reports suggesting that Cupertino company has ordered 70 million bendable organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels from Samsung Electronics, according to a Nikkei source.

“Apple has ordered 70 million units of OLED panels from Samsung this year, while Samsung is preparing to churn out as many as 95 million for Apple in 2017, in case demand exceeds expectations,” David Hsieh, Senior Director at research company IHS Markit, told Nikkei.

“It is also possible that some of these 70 million handsets will not be shipped to customers this year and be carried over to next year depending on demand,” Hsieh added.

According to reports, Apple is planning to launch the iPhone 8 by the end of 2017, and it seems to be the first iPhone model to feature an OLED panel, if sources are to be believed.

“The industry source familiar with iPhone design says all three handsets will come with wireless charging functions, although suppliers are still trying to resolve overheating issues,” Nikkei’s Debby Wu writes. “They will also be waterproof, according to the source.”

“The person says that at least one model will carry a 3-D sensor that allows facial recognition as part of new biometric features,” Wu adds. “The premium handset will have no home button while the other two will retain the feature, the person says.”

Three iPhone 8 models have been rumoured: a premium version, featuring a curved 5.2-inch OLED, priced around $1,000, a 5.5-inch Plus model, and a standard 4.7-inch handset, the latter two using existing LCD technology.