Production of iPhone 14 series display panels will begin next month, but one supplier that doesn’t have to worry about meeting deadlines is BOO.
Apple buys the majority of its smartphone screens from Samsung and LG. BOE entered the supply chain for Apple’s iPhone in 2020 and was set to supply OLED units for the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 this year.
There are currently no signs that BOE will win orders for the iPhone 14 series, which will reportedly include four models: 6.1-inch iPhone 14, 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Max, 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro max .
BOE allegedly made changes to the iPhone 13’s screen to increase yield. The company sent some top employees to Apple after the incident to explain the situation in order to avoid being booted out of the supply chain. The employees asked Apple to assign orders for the iPhone 14, but received no clear answer.
Apple reportedly planned to ask BOE to make 30 million OLED panels for the iPhone 14, but now those orders can go to Samsung and LG instead. The latter is apparently going to make LTPO panels for the first time, with which Apple gets a refresh rate of 120Hz.
Apple doesn’t necessarily have to drop BOE as a supplier because it’s in its best interest to have more suppliers on board. That’s because more options give the company leverage on price.
The iPhone 14 series is expected to be unveiled in September along with the Apple Watch Series 8. The Pro models are expected to get a new front design and a higher-resolution main camera, and this would make them the best phones to make by 2022.