Samsung is going to start mass-producing OLED screens for the upcoming iPhone 8 later this month, according to a new report on the matter. That suggests the iPhone 8’s design is final, and Apple is moving to start production.
“Apple recently approved the prototype panels. Samsung is making orders for parts and materials,” an unnamed source told ETNews.
Samsung will make more than 10 million iPhone 8 OLED screens every month, the report notes, with Apple having ordered some 80 million screens to be produced this year alone. This is in line with what previous reports said about Apple’s OLED needs in 2017, with Samsung being the only company with facilities that can deliver this many screens on time.
Sources said the flexible OLED screen will cover almost the entire front side of the new device. But the iPhone 8 won’t have a curved design like the Galaxy S8, according to the report, which is also in line with what most rumors and leaks have said in the past few months.
Apple is expected to launch three iPhone models this year, but only the iPhone 8 will have an OLED screen. Next year, the report notes that Apple will launch only OLED iPhones. LG Display and other companies are also expanding their OLED manufacturing efforts in order to ink iPhone deals with Apple.
The report says the debut of the OLED iPhone is “imminent,” which seems to imply that Apple might have it in stores in time for a regular September launch. ETNews does not mention anything about potential delays, but says that other component makers are beefing up related production.
