When it comes to the shortlist of suppliers supplying Apple with displays for this year’s iPhone 14 series, Samsung has reportedly emerged as the top choice thanks to its display arm.
According to a report by the South Korean news magazine ET News (opens in new tab), “Industry insiders” claim that Apple has officially approached Samsung Display with an order for about 80 million screens to be shipped in Q3 (July-September) this year; before the iPhone 14‘s expected release in September.
Order details confirm reports that this year’s crop of devices will not host iPhone 14 mini (as has been the case for the last two iPhone generations) with only two display sizes intended for four separate models.
Based on the device lineup previously suggested by a reputable leaker Ming Chi Kuothe iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro will use a 6.1-inch panel, while just under half of the total order is for the larger iPhone 14 Max and high-end iPhone 14 pro maxboth of which will feature a 6.7-inch display as Apple tries to create it best iPhone ever in 2022.
Samsung Display will use two different manufacturing processes for the OLED displays that make up this order: LTPS-TFT and LTPO-TFT, with the latter offering higher energy efficiency than the former and expected to be used on the two Pro models in the iPhone 14 family .
The standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max will likely use the more modest LTPS-TFT technology, which offers lower refresh rates and slightly lower display quality.
Analysis: Screening of the competition
While 80 million units to a single vendor would mean a big win for Samsung Display, it doesn’t bode well for Apple fans hoping for cheaper iPhones this year.
The more manufacturers are able to meet Apple’s requirements and quality standards, the greater the competition, which means lower component prices and therefore savings that – in theory – can be passed on to consumers.
South Korean manufacturer colleague LG Display has often supported Samsung in the past in equipping Apple with displays for its iPhones. More recently, however, Chinese supplier BOE Technology has joined the pair.
BOE has been making displays for Apple ever since iphone 12whether the Californian company will order BOE for the iPhone 14 or not is still in the stars.
Apple just recently resumed display production for the iPhone 13 with BOE after discovering that the Chinese company was cutting corners in its manufacturing processes (as reported by 9to5Mac (opens in new tab)) to reduce costs without notifying the iPhone maker in advance.
While BOE’s restored position as a parts supplier for the iPhone 13 does not guarantee involvement in the production of the iPhone 14, it says GSMArena (opens in new tab)Apple is reassessing its validity as a potential supplier this week, which could lead to greater competition for total Samsung Display orders and, in turn, potential for a cheaper iPhone.