BOE's iPhone 15 OLED & iPhone SE4 Supply Uncertainties

BOE Technology's shipments of OLED panels for Apple's iPhone 15 series in 2023 are predicted to be close to zero, according to recent research by a South Korean institution. Initially, BOE Technology had planned to start mass production of iPhone 15 OLED panels in August, but uncertainties have arisen. Additionally, the supply of iPhone SE4 OLED panels from BOE Technology is also uncertain, with production now expected in 2025.

According to reports from Theelec, a Korean media outlet, a researcher from UBI Research mentioned that BOE Technology may not be able to ship any iPhone 15 OLED panels due to performance issues. If BOE Technology doesn't receive approval for mass production in August 2023, the approval may be delayed until October.

There have been difficulties for BOE Technology in processing hole displays, resulting in Samsung Display Co. (SDC) handling the initial production of iPhone 15 OLED panels. Apple plans to introduce hole displays in the top-tier products of the iPhone 14 series in 2022 and expand their use to all iPhone 15 models in 2023.

BOE Technology is currently developing two lower-end iPhone 15 models with OLED panels using LTPS TFT technology. The basic model (6.1 inches) of the iPhone 15 (B11) will use OLED panels from BOE Technology, while the Plus model (6.7 inches) will use OLED panels produced on Line 2 of B12.

It remains uncertain whether BOE Technology will supply OLED panels for the budget-friendly iPhone SE4. Previous iPhone SE models have used LCD panels, but there are rumors that OLED panels will be used starting from the iPhone SE4. The lower-end nature of the iPhone SE4 implies relatively lower OLED prices.

Insiders suggest that BOE Technology, known for its promotion of flexible OLED panels, may supply OLED panels for the iPhone SE4. However, the supply is currently uncertain due to performance issues. The production of the iPhone SE4 has been delayed from 2024 to 2025. Additionally, there is competition between South Korean companies such as Samsung Display Co. and LG Display for securing orders.

LGD initially intended to supply LTPO TFT OLED panels for the iPhone 14 Pro Max. However, due to production difficulties in Q3 2022, they had to transfer approximately 10 million panel orders to SDC. It is estimated that by the end of 2023, SDC will ship 110-120 million units of the iPhone 15 OLED series, while LGD will ship 35 million units. SDC will supply OLED panels for the entire iPhone 15 series, while LGD will focus on the top-tier products (Pro/Pro Max) of the iPhone 15 series.