Apple clears Samsung to produce OLED panels for foldable iPhone

Apple ↘0.23% approved Samsung Display to begin module production of foldable OLED panels at its Vietnam facility, according to TheElec.thelec
Samsung is the exclusive foldable OLED supplier under a three-year deal, with an initial order of roughly three million panels for delivery this year.macrumors
The foldable iPhone’s September launch timeline hinges on Apple resolving hinge module production challenges, an industry source told TheElec.stuff

Apple Approves Samsung Display for Foldable iPhone OLED Panel Production

Samsung Display has received Apple’s green light to begin module production of OLED panels for the company’s first foldable iPhone, marking a key milestone in the device’s path toward a planned fall launch.

According to a report published Sunday by Korean outlet TheElec, Apple granted Samsung Display authorization to manufacture foldable OLED modules, with the supplier now operating part of its back-end production lines in Vietnam to fulfill an initial order of approximately three million units for delivery this year.technewstube

Exclusive Three-Year Deal

Samsung Display is the exclusive supplier of foldable OLED panels for the device under a three-year agreement first reported by TheElec in April. Apple accepted the exclusivity terms due to a lack of viable alternatives, with competitors such as LG Display and BOE yet to meet the company’s technical requirements.appleworld

The module production approval required Samsung Display to demonstrate final assembly quality and yield stability. According to a Chinese-language report citing TheElec, Apple’s threshold was a yield rate of at least 70 percent, and Samsung Display ultimately exceeded 80 percent.newmobilelife

Samsung’s Vietnam facility has roughly 80 production lines, with about 50 currently active — more than sufficient capacity for the initial three-million-unit order. The panels reportedly use Color filter on Encapsulation (CoE) technology, which removes the polarizer to prevent cracking at bending points.macrumors

Device Specs and Pricing

The foldable iPhone — rumored to be named either “iPhone Ultra” or “iPhone Fold” — is expected to feature a 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.5-inch cover display, an A20 chip, an Apple C2 modem, and Touch ID in place of Face ID. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported that the device is expected to “cross the $2,000 threshold” in pricing, which would make it Apple’s most expensive iPhone ever.macrumors

Apple is targeting a September launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, though TheElec noted that challenges remain in stabilizing production of the hinge module. “The launch schedule will ultimately depend on Apple’s readiness for device components, particularly the hinge,” an unnamed industry source told the outlet.stuff