안녕하세요. 테크놀로지투데이나우입니다. 내년 출시가 예상되는 폴더블 아이폰에 관한 정보도 속속 공개가 되고 있는데요. 갤럭시 폴더블폰의 패널 생산을 담당했던 삼성 디스플레이가 폴더블 아이폰에서도 독점 생산할 가능성이 제기되고 있습니다.
Foldable iPhone expected to be different from existing foldable smartphones
Apple’s first foldable iPhone, expected to be released in the second half of next year, adopts the same 4:3 ratio as the iPad, and is expected to have a 5.5-inch cover display and a 7.8-inch main display.
It is a distinct form from the foldable smartphones that have been released so far. This unique display is expected to be produced exclusively by manufacturers we are familiar with.
According to a report by Daily Korea, the display to be installed on the foldable iPhone is likely to be exclusively produced by Samsung Display over the next few years.
Samsung Display’s Exclusive Production of Foldable iPhone Panels Possible
According to the report, the panels to be mounted on the first foldable iPhone are likely to be exclusively supplied by Samsung Display. This appears to be due to Samsung Display’s experience in producing foldable-only panels. BOE is also participating as a display supplier for the currently released iPhone 16 series.
Apple’s Supply Chain Strategy
However, because the panels supplied by BOE are for the cheapest base model in the series, and the supplies are very small, they are not having much impact at the moment. Nevertheless, Apple is looking to gradually increase BOE’s supply to reduce iPhone manufacturing costs. If BOE maintains its current supply level, that would be a different situation, but in the long run, Apple is expected to expand its share of BOE.
Consumer Trust and Manufacturer’s Impact
If Apple’s foldable iPhone is successfully released, the influence of domestic manufacturers is expected to increase. From a consumer’s point of view, if it is equipped with a Samsung display that has built trust for six generations, it can be seen as an advantage to purchase with confidence. According to a report by D-ELEC last year, 70 percent of Samsung’s total operating profit comes from the iPhone’s OLEDs.
Future prospects
Although the production of the first-generation foldable iPhone is not expected to be large, it is likely to have a significant impact on Samsung Display’s operating profit because mass production is expected from the second generation. Currently, Apple’s high-end model, the iPhone Pro, is already supplied by domestic display manufacturers. In addition, LG Display is in charge of the iPad Pro’s Tendum OLED, and Samsung Display will supply the foldable iPhone’s flexible OLED, and when the MacBook is converted to OLED, the proportion of the two manufacturers is expected to increase.