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Apple Orders 160M iPhone 8 OLED Panels

Samsung Display secures huge order worth billions from its rival.

 & Matthew Humphries Former Senior Editor

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All the rumors suggest the iPhone 8 will be a very different smartphone to the iPhone 7 and what has come before. We're already expecting a handset encased in glass, and with that the integration of wireless charging. Now it seems as though, yet again, Samsung will be an integral part of delivering the next iPhone thanks to a huge order for OLED panels.

According to The Korean Herald, last year Apple ordered 100 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for use in the iPhone 8. However, it is now thought that order has been increased to 160 million, which is worth an additional $4.3 billion to Samsung.

Although iPhone sales dipped in 2016, they still remained above 200 million a year. If this Samsung order is to be believed, the Korean company will be relied upon for the bulk of the panels used in the iPhone 8. As to why Apple decided to increase the order, it could be down to a supply issue.

Apple likes to source components from a number of companies for its products. That way risk is lowered if one of those suppliers experiences a supply issue. In this case, it could be that one of the companies Apple selected to supply OLED panels isn't viable and Samsung agreed to pick up the slack. Either that, or Apple reviewed its sales forecast for the iPhone 8 and decided it needed to make more of them. As for who will handle the rest of Apple's OLED panel orders, LG is thought to be the other main supplier.

Samsung used OLED panels in many of its smartphones and can therefore be relied upon to produce them in large quantities and to the standards Apple requires. This also demonstrates Samsung's production capacity, which must cope with its own needs as well as this massive new order from Apple.

About Our Expert

Matthew Humphries

Matthew Humphries

Former Senior Editor

My Experience

I started working at PCMag in November 2016, covering all areas of technology and video game news. Before that I spent nearly 15 years working at Geek.com as a writer and editor. I also spent the first six years after leaving university as a professional game designer working with Disney, Games Workshop, 20th Century Fox, and Vivendi.

I hold two degrees: a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a Master's degree in Games Development. My first book, Make Your Own Pixel Art, is available from all good book shops.

My Areas of Expertise

  • PC components and system building
  • Raspberry Pi
  • Software development
  • Storage technology
  • Video games and gaming hardware

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