LG Display Signs Deal With Apple to Supply OLED and LCD Panels for 2018 iPhones

[NinerL]

LG Display has signed a deal with Apple to supply both LCD and OLED panels for the company's 2018 range of iPhones, according to a new report by Korea-based Newspin (via DigiTimes).

The contract will see LG Display ship around 20 million LCD smartphone panels to Apple in 2018, according to the report, which also puts the number of OLED panels to be supplied by LG in the 3 to 4 million ballpark range, as per previous rumors.

 

 

In addition, the report claims LG is "likely" to secure the majority of 6.5-inch panel orders from Apple in 2019, which will see the firm ramp up its OLED shipments to 10 million units in the year. LG will reportedly produce the OLED panels for iPhone at its E6 6G plant in Paju, Korea.

Apple is expected to launch two OLED iPhones (5.8 and 6.5 inches) and one 6.1-inch LCD iPhone later this year, with the LCD device to be positioned as a low-cost option alongside the two more expensive OLED devices.  

 

Apple's desire for both LCD and OLED supplies also comes at a crucial time for LG. The company posted a net loss of 98.3 billion Korean won ($87 million) in the first quarter of 2018, with the prospect of almost doubling that figure in losses for the second quarter.

LG's financial constraints also underline the importance of avoiding a repeat of the firm's past OLED mistakes, such as befell its Flex and G Flex 2 phones, released in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Both smartphone displays were widely criticized at the time for exhibiting graininess and variations in brightness, issues which returned in LG's own V30 and the Google Pixel 2 XL in models launched last year.

 

Source : https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/13/lg-apple-deal-supply-oled-lcd-panels-2018-iphones/

 

 

 

I think this is good for both companies, Apple becomes less reliant on Samsung's displays, and LG gets much needed $$. 

[AlTech]

why make the LCD display a different size to either OLED display?

 

I'd rather have a 6.5" LCD .

 

Edit: Also queue the Apple iPhone XI OLED Replacement Program

[Bouzoo]

Has LG improved their OLED's to the point that Apple can use them without worries? Samsung has the best OLED panels for phones, better than LG, and their last attempt with V30 showed some flaws with them. And the iPhone X had the best all around calibrated panel which was a Samsung panel. 

[Rupe]

You can only imagine that Apple will hold LGs feet to the fire on this one. Good mobile OLED screens out of LG will benefit Apple, LG and Google. Having another OLED screen manufacturer competing effectively with Samsung is good news

[GoldenLag]

How long untill a major flaw is found in at least 1 of these three phones?

 

My guess is 5 months and the flaw is in the most expencive model

[NinerL]

20 minutes ago, GoldenLag said:

How long untill a major flaw is found in at least 1 of these three phones?

 

My guess is 5 months and the flaw is in the most expencive model

Apple did invest 2 point something billion in LG's OLED development, I doubt we'll see another Pixel fiasco again. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, AluminiumTech said:

why make the LCD display a different size to either OLED display?

 

I'd rather have a 6.5" LCD .

 

Edit: Also queue the Apple iPhone XI OLED Replacement Program

Its for the budget iPhone. It's pretty nice It's going to be the same size as the iPhone 8 but with a 6.1" screen. 

[GoldenLag]

28 minutes ago, NinerL said:

Apple did invest 2 point something billion in LG's OLED development, I doubt we'll see another Pixel fiasco again. 

I think we will see dead pixels everywhere

[Trixanity]

From what I recall the problems with LG's solutions were just as much the DDIC as the panel itself. OLED displays takes a lot of work to function properly and in the meantime there has been a few (allegedly) top tier non-Samsung DDIC releases including one from Synaptics I believe, so even an upgrade just to the DDIC could drastically improve display quality even if the panels still are kinda garbage. Not that LG hasn't improved their OLED displays but I honestly think it's a waste of time to invest too much into it with MicroLED looking very promising and without any of the disadvantages of OLED.

[suicidalfranco]

So lower quality panels than what Samsung offers, at the same price if not more (the device, not the Panels), just to go full Nelson on Samsung?

 

Smart.

[asus killer]

join LG poor reliability and Apple bad customer service and this is going to be a amazing

[Brooksie359]

2 hours ago, NinerL said:

LG Display has signed a deal with Apple to supply both LCD and OLED panels for the company's 2018 range of iPhones, according to a new report by Korea-based Newspin (via DigiTimes).

The contract will see LG Display ship around 20 million LCD smartphone panels to Apple in 2018, according to the report, which also puts the number of OLED panels to be supplied by LG in the 3 to 4 million ballpark range, as per previous rumors.

 

 

In addition, the report claims LG is "likely" to secure the majority of 6.5-inch panel orders from Apple in 2019, which will see the firm ramp up its OLED shipments to 10 million units in the year. LG will reportedly produce the OLED panels for iPhone at its E6 6G plant in Paju, Korea.

Apple is expected to launch two OLED iPhones (5.8 and 6.5 inches) and one 6.1-inch LCD iPhone later this year, with the LCD device to be positioned as a low-cost option alongside the two more expensive OLED devices.  

 

Apple's desire for both LCD and OLED supplies also comes at a crucial time for LG. The company posted a net loss of 98.3 billion Korean won ($87 billion) in the first quarter of 2018, with the prospect of almost doubling that figure in losses for the second quarter.

LG's financial constraints also underline the importance of avoiding a repeat of the firm's past OLED mistakes, such as befell its Flex and G Flex 2 phones, released in 2013 and 2015, respectively. Both smartphone displays were widely criticized at the time for exhibiting graininess and variations in brightness, issues which returned in LG's own V30 and the Google Pixel 2 XL in models launched last year.

 

Source : https://www.macrumors.com/2018/07/13/lg-apple-deal-supply-oled-lcd-panels-2018-iphones/

 

 

 

I think this is good for both companies, Apple becomes less reliant on Samsung's displays, and LG gets much needed $$. 

Can you fix the money loss. 98.3 billion won is not 87 billion dollars. 

[TVwazhere]

8 minutes ago, Brooksie359 said:

Can you fix the money loss. 98.3 billion won is not 87 billion dollars. 

87 million*

 

87 billion and the company would be bankrupt LOL 

[Brooksie359]

1 minute ago, TVwazhere said:

87 million*

 

87 billion and the company would be bankrupt LOL 

That's what I was thinking when I first saw it but then I remember my Korean friend saying once that you divide won by 1000 and it will give the rough value in usd.

[TVwazhere]

2 minutes ago, Brooksie359 said:

That's what I was thinking when I first saw it but then I remember my Korean friend saying once that you divide won by 1000 and it will give the rough value in usd.

I just used google currency translator  

[Brooksie359]

1 minute ago, TVwazhere said:

I just used google currency translator  

I was trying to build a parts list for him so doing that would have been super time consuming. 

[JAKEBAB]

Never had good experience with LG regardless of product. Really dont see this ending without some sort flaw eventually.

[DocSwag]

2 hours ago, Trixanity said:

From what I recall the problems with LG's solutions were just as much the DDIC as the panel itself. OLED displays takes a lot of work to function properly and in the meantime there has been a few (allegedly) top tier non-Samsung DDIC releases including one from Synaptics I believe, so even an upgrade just to the DDIC could drastically improve display quality even if the panels still are kinda garbage. Not that LG hasn't improved their OLED displays but I honestly think it's a waste of time to invest too much into it with MicroLED looking very promising and without any of the disadvantages of OLED.

Stuff like black crush and color banding was mostly caused by the poor DDIC. I wonder if LG might perhaps use the Synaptics DDIC shown at ces. Idk if it's ready to be sold yet but if they used it that could be interesting.

[Commodus]

4 hours ago, AluminiumTech said:

why make the LCD display a different size to either OLED display?

 

I'd rather have a 6.5" LCD .

 

Edit: Also queue the Apple iPhone XI OLED Replacement Program

Might not be entirely voluntary.  Could be that the backlight forces a larger frame to hold all the components, could be the display controller hardware... we'd probably need a teardown to have an idea of what it's like inside each phone!

[shermantanker]

I hope LG gets it's shit together for this. The screen on my X is incredible, and I would hope the LG panel would be comparable. And 6.5" X is very appealing.

[CTR640]

I am confused. Who holds the patent for OLED exactly? LG holds the patents OLED and Samsung (S)AMOLED or what? And TV's and phone displays?

[DocSwag]

1 hour ago, CTR640 said:

I am confused. Who holds the patent for OLED exactly? LG holds the patents OLED and Samsung (S)AMOLED or what? And TV's and phone displays?

OLED is a broad term. My understanding is lots of companies have patents for their way of making them. Samsung probably has some; from wikipedia, LG seems to have a licensing agreement of sorts for their's

Quote

In January 2015, LG Display signed a long term agreement with Universal Display Corporation for the supply of OLED materials and the right to use their patented OLED emitters

 

[PlayStation 2]

Apple must've been impressed enough to sign them up.

I think they did the panels for the X, so we'll see how this turns out. People have been bitching at them for not going to OLED and we're going to have people bitch about them going to OLED. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

[Trixanity]

1 hour ago, CTR640 said:

I am confused. Who holds the patent for OLED exactly? LG holds the patents OLED and Samsung (S)AMOLED or what? And TV's and phone displays?

SAMOLED isn't a patent. It's a trademark.

 

Multiple companies hold multiple patents.

 

Samsung is known for their pentile display matrix (and I believe their technique and implementation is patented) which works great in small form factors (eg phones). LG is known for their OLED displays in TVs which uses white OLED with color filters instead of an RGB OLED display. It makes it a lot cheaper and easier to make large TVs and I also think it's patented. 

[Ginger_]

I thought Apple was supposed to be rolling out micro led in the next year or two