Feeling pressure on its bottom line from higher prices for memory chips and other components, Apple is pushing its OLED display panel vendors for a 20% in the price of display panels destined for use for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, reports Korean-based website The Elec.
The report says that Apple is pushing for a price of around $70 for OLED panels, although it would like to pay even less. Industry estimates suggest that panel suppliers Samsung Display and LG Display will provide the panels for around $66.50 each, a roughly 20 percent drop from the prices Apple paid for its iPhone 17 Pro Max OLED panels.
As noted in the report, the price Apple has paid for OLED panels for its iPhones has fallen with each new generation. However, this year’s iPhone 18 OLED panel is expected to require greater manufacturing complexity.
Apple and other smartphone makers are looking for ways to offset the rising cost of memory and storage by scoring reduction in the price of other components, such as displays and camera modules.
Market research firm UBI Research expects Samsung Display to supply 46 million OLED panels for Apple’s iPhone 18 lineup this year, including 2 million for the standard iPhone 18 model, 18 million for the iPhone 18 Pro, and 26 million for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Meanwhile, LG Display is expected to deliver 41 million panels, including 1 million for the standard iPhone 18, 19 million for the 18 Pro, and 21 million for the 18 Pro Max.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro models in September alongside its first foldable iPhone, followed by the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e, which are expected to debut in spring 2027.