Samsung invests $3bn in display production, in preparation of Apple’s transition to OLED

Not all that long ago, an article by the Information described the relationship between Samsung and Apple as “Tech’s Unhappiest Marriage”. Well, this unholy matrimony is set to continue for the foreseeable future, because the Cupertino company will continue to rely on the Korean tech giant for the supply of high-end panels. Today, Reuters reported that Samsung Display has made a substantial investment of just over 3 billion dollars in OLED production. Subsequently, an article by 9to5Mac linked this additional funding to the expected Apple’s “dramatically increased demand” for OLED panels.

According to a number of sources, a number of key products in the Cupertino company’s portfolio will be transitioning to OLED technology in the near future. This includes Apple’s high-end iPad Pro lineup and the company’s MacBooks.

According to most reports, the upcoming iPad Pro 2024 lineup will feature exclusively OLED displays. This means that Apple will be effectively abandoning two types of panels – IPS LCD and MicroLED.

For the better part of a decade, Apple relied exclusively on IPS LCD panels for the vast majority of its products. While these types of displays have some perks, OLED screens are better in many crucial ways. Tempted by the superior image quality, Apple eventually relented and the iPhone adopted an OLED display with the iPhone X.

For reference, the initial plan was very different. According to the aforementioned article by the Information, the LCD panel had to be replaced by a MicroLED one in order to limit Apple’s dependence on Samsung. Needless to say, the initial strategy did not come to fruition.

A couple of years later, Apple took a similar approach with the M1 12.9” iPad Pro (2021). However, now it seems the Cupertino company has abandoned its ambitions to break free of its dependence on Samsung. Tech’s unhappiest marriage will not be ending in a divorce any time soon.