Apple is planning to launch its foldable iPhone in a year or two, and reports say that the LG Display will develop foldable display panels for the device.
Apple is aiming for a thinner display than the foldable of its rivals, and is getting LG to work on foldable OLED technology.
As it happens, LG will be a secondary supplier as Samsung will continue to provide Apple with panels for the foldable phones.
The speculation is Apple's foldable phone may feature a clamshell design like Samsung's Galaxy Z flip.
If anything, the first Apple foldable iPhone model will use Samsung's LTPO-based OLED panels. But Apple is hoping LG can guarantee its volume capacity with increased production yields as a way to cut procurement costs.
The Cupertino-headquartered company is working on a foldable phone and is already making prototypes with foldable screens. Going by the leaked early prototypes, the Apple's foldable looks similar to the screens used by the market leader Samsung.
- iPhone Flip release date, price, leaks and what we want from Apple's foldable iPhone
- iPhone foldable, iPhone Flip, whatever: it might be coming
Apple foldable to use LTPO-based OLED panel
Apple will be banking on LTPO-based (low temperature polycrystalline oxide) OLED panels. LTPO is applicable to both OLEDs and LCDs.
"Given Apple's shift to actively adopt low temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) technology, and with LG Display investing to guarantee volume capacity and stabilize production yields of LTPO-based OLED panels at its E6 manufacturing line in Paju, the company's main display cluster, it's possible that LG will supply these foldable displays for Apple's new iPhone model," the Korea Times said, quoting a senior industry executive.
The rumoured foldable iPhone, with Galaxy Z Flip-like design, is also speculated to be more affordable than the competing models.
Sources suggest that the first foldable iPhone will arrive in a year or two, and it will feature Apple Pencil support. For the record, Samsung, Motorola, and Huawei have foldable phone models already in the market.
Via: Korea Times
