Seoul: South Korean tech giants Samsung Display and LG Display have reportedly started producing OLED panels for the “iPhone 13”, with Samsung said to be creating 120Hz ProMotion displays for the Pro models.
Ahead of the launch of new iPhone models, members of Apple’s supply chain are ramping up production to meet the expected high levels of orders within the next few months.
Samsung Display and LG Display are returning as display panel producers for the “iPhone 13,” and have started production of the needed OLED panels, Apple Insider citing The Elec reported.
The timing is approximately one month earlier than Apple’s production schedules for the iPhone 12, though schedules at that time were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sources of the report claim that Samsung commenced production halfway through May, while LG started its manufacturing of the components later in the month.
Of the displays, Samsung is said to be the only supplier of low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) OLED panels to Apple.
Rumoured to be used in the Pro models, the LPTO displays will support 120Hz refresh rates, enabling the long-rumored ProMotion feature.
For the non-Pro models, Apple will continue to use low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) TFT OLED panels, supplied by LG Display.
In terms of shipment numbers, Samsung is thought to be producing 80 million units of display for the new iPhone, with between 120 million and 130 million total OLED panels anticipated to ship to Apple in 2021.
For LG, it is aiming for 30 million units for the “iPhone 13” and a total of 50 million overall for the year.