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Samsung Display, the OLED supplier for Apple, is reportedly set to begin manufacturing OLED panels for the iPhone 15 series a month earlier than planned, due to production issues with one of Apple’s other suppliers.
According to a recent report from The Elec, Samsung will start manufacturing the OLED panels in May instead of June to compensate for the lack of initial orders from BOE, the Chinese partner that was slated to manufacture some OLED panels for the standard model of the iPhone 15.
However, BOE has been experiencing issues with light leakage around the portion of the OLED display where the pill and hole cutouts secure the space necessary for the TrueDepth camera and Face ID.
As a result, Apple dropped the order and BOE missed its chance to become one of the initial suppliers. Samsung, on the other hand, was always scheduled to supply the OLED panel for the standard model of the iPhone 15, and will now start production early in light of BOE’s problems.
The standard and Plus models of the iPhone 15 are expected to use low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) thin-film transistor (TFT), which suggests that the devices will continue to lack ProMotion support and an always-on display option like Apple’s Pro models have.
Meanwhile, LG Display will start producing LTPO TFT OLED panels aimed at the higher-tier models of the iPhone 15 in June. The LPTO panels feature 120Hz ProMotion support and a 1Hz refresh rate capability that enables an idle Lock Screen to stay visible without significantly impacting battery life.
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Although Samsung’s early start doesn’t necessarily mean the end for BOE as an Apple supplier, the report suggests that BOE is making progress in solving the light leak issue, and could start supplying OLED panels for the iPhone 15 within the year.
Despite the production challenges, the iPhone 15 series is expected to launch in September as usual. For more information about the upcoming models, check out our dedicated roundups by clicking the links below.