A new report by Korean publication Newspin (via DigiTimes), claims LG Display has signed a deal with Apple that will see them supply both LCD and OLED panels for use in Apple’s 2018 iPhone lineup.
The new deal will see LG Display ship approximately 20 million LCD iPhone panels in 2018, says the report. LG will supply around 3 to 4 million OLED panels to Apple under the same contract.
The report also claims LG Display is “likely” to win a contract to supply the majority of 6.5-inch panels for Apple in 2019. The firm will ramp up its OLED shipments to 10 million units in the new year. LG is expected to manufacture the OLED panels at its E6 6G plant in Paju, Korea.
Apple is widely expected to launch three new iPhones this fall. The lineup will include two new OLED iPhones, with screens measuring in at 5.8 and 6.5 inches, and a 6.1-inch LCD model that will serve as a lower-cost alternative to the more expensive OLED devices.
If the LG-Apple deal is for real, it doesn’t bode well for LCD suppliers Sharp and Japan Display. The latter company is in the process of raising millions of dollars to have the necessary funds to produce LCD screens for Apple’s new handsets.
The firm has already suffered a loss in sales due to Apple’s shift to OLED, and could be in trouble if Apple turns to LG Display and Samsung for their panel needs.
