Despite some past flaws, display maker BOE (Beijing Oriental Electronics) is said to have received approval from Apple to supply the display on the iPhone SE 4.
According to The Verge, the latest report comes not long after analyst Ming-chi Kuo said Apple will revive the iPhone SE 4 model. In addition, Apple is also said to be developing its own screen technology in an attempt to reduce its dependence on display manufacturers and its main rival Samsung.
In 2020, some of BOE’s screens for iPhone 12 are said to have failed the quality tests. Later, Apple discovered BOE made unapproved changes to the iPhone 13 display design. Despite having reached an agreement to produce 6.1-inch OLED screens for the iPhone 14 company The country is said to be unable to manufacture the iPhone 15 screen according to Apple’s specifications. Instead, it looks like BOE will supply a 6.1-inch OLED display for the next-generation low-cost iPhone.
The iPhone SE 4 is expected to use an older OLED screen, so BOE can use its existing component stock. However, this is not good news for BOE because Apple is trying to reduce its reliance on Samsung screens, and not being able to take advantage of the opportunity to supply screens for the iPhone 15 will be a failure for BOE. This stems from the fact that Samsung is said to be the only manufacturer that can mass-produce high-end OLED displays to Apple’s specifications. To do this, Samsung Display has implemented a number of absolute security measures for its technology, including not allowing Apple engineers into its premises.
With this approach of Samsung, the goal of severing Apple’s relationship with the Korean company will take a few more years to materialize. When it comes to producing microLED displays, Apple can only start small and use the technology on the watch first.
Even losing OLED display orders for the iPhone SE 4 isn’t a bad thing for Samsung. According to The Elec , the current LTPO OLED screens that Samsung offers for the iPhone 14 (and possibly the iPhone 15) will cost more than twice as much as the older OLED.