In December 2020, it was reported that BOE was approved as the third OLED supplier for the iPhone 12. So report, BOE will supply 10 million to 20 million units this year, depending on demand for The newest phones from Apple. BusinessKorea it now claims that the Chinese company has only received authorization to supply panels for refurbished models.
This is just the beginning, as the publication adds that BOE has set up a new installation (Fab B11) in Menyang exclusively for Apple. The company is currently manufacturing OLED samples for the next iPhone, which an increasing number of reports say will be called iPhone 12S, not iPhone 13.
Samsung is currently Apple’s leading provider of OLED for the iPhone 12. It is believed that Apple acquired panels from LG only for the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and the rest of the line features panels made by Samsung.
Apple apparently wants to reduce the proportion of orders going to these two South Korean companies, but it may be a while before that happens. One industry member quoted in the BusinesKorea The report does not expect the BOE to win orders for the iPhone 12S and they expect the manufacturer to enter the supply chain for new iPhones next year.
This means that BOE will continue to provide OLED panels for refurbished models. The Chinese manufacturer also hopes to provide MicroOLED panels for Apple’s virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) devices. According to a South Korean outlet, the company plans to launch MicroOLED panels for AR and VR devices in the second half of this year.
Today’s report also supports rumors that more sophisticated models of the iPhone 12S will have LTPO panels. They will likely be purchased from Samsung.