In December 2020, it was reported that BOE has been approved as the third OLED supplier for the iPhone 12. Per that report, BOE will supply 10 million to 20 million units this year, depending on the demand for Apple’s newest phones. BusinessKorea now claims that the Chinese company has only been given the go-ahead to provide panels for refurbished models.
This is only the beginning as the publication adds that BOE has set up a new facility (Fab B11) in Menyang exclusively for Apple. The company is currently said to be manufacturing OLED samples for the next iPhone, which an increasing number of reports say will be called the iPhone 12S, and not the iPhone 13.
Samsung is currently Apple’s main OLED supplier for the iPhone 12. It is believed that Apple has procured panels from LG for only the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and the rest of the range features Samsung-made panels.
Apple apparently wants to reduce the proportion of orders that go to these two South Korean companies but it could be a while before that happens. An industry insider cited in the the BusinesKorea report does not expect BOE to win orders for the iPhone 12S and they expect the manufacturer to enter the supply chain for brand new iPhones next year.
This implies that BOE will continue to supply OLED panels for refurbished models in the meanwhile. The Chinese manufacturer also hopes to provide MicroOLED panels for Apple’s virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) devices. According to one South Korean outlet, the company is planning to launch MicroOLED panels for AR and VR devices in the second half of this year.
Today’s report also corroborates rumors that higher-end iPhone 12S models will sport LTPO panels. These will likely be procured from Samsung.
