Apple has reportedly opened talks with suppliers for OLED panels designated for the next-generation iPhone SE, reads a new report from The Elec.
According to the report, several suppliers including Samsung Display, BOE, and Tianma are competing with one another to secure supplies for the fourth-generation iPhone SE, scheduled to be released next year. The upcoming iPhone SE model will be the first to feature an OLED display in Apple’s budget iPhone lineup after all three previous models have used either a 4-inch or a 4.7-inch LCD panels.
Apple is yet to agree on a definite price per OLED panel with any of the three proposed suppliers, the report adds. Samsung Display has offered a price of $30 per panel, BOE is offering $35, and Tianma is the most expensive at $40 per panel. Apple is reportedly hoping to secure a much lower price of $20 per panel, but negotiations will likely settle the final price between $20 to $30 per panel.
Samsung Display and BOE are reportedly at the forefront of securing supplies from Apple as their production capacity and yield are much higher than that of Tianma. Samsung could even opt to reuse some of its existing iPhone 14 panel supply, giving it another edge over its competitors. The Korean company could even sell iPhone SE 4 panels at a loss if it can make up for those with future orders for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 lineups.
In all cases, the OLED panel price for the iPhone SE 4 will be considerably lower than that of the iPhone 15 as the former will reuse established technologies that suppliers won’t need to spend again on research and development. The report adds that the expected OLED panel will be based on that of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 13 displays a few years ago, and will come in at the same 6.1-inch size.
The iPhone SE 4 is expected to be strongly reminiscent of the 6.1-inch base iPhone 14 released two years ago. It will be the first iPhone SE to do away with the Home button in favor of Face ID and an all-screen design, and could also be the first iPhone to commercially use Apple’s custom 5G modems.
