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Samsung to build world’s biggest OLED display manufacturing plant

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 30, 2017

Samsung is planning to build the world's biggest OLED display manufacturing plant that could kick off volume production in 2019, with a peak yield of between 180,000 and 270,000 OLED display panels per month, according to industry sources.

By comparison, the company's existing “A2” factory currently produces 180,000 units of rigid and flexible OLEDs per month.

Samsung Display, the South Korean conglomerate's display-making arm, will invest more than $1.75 billion just to construct the new plant. The report is relevant to our readers because Samsung Display is believed to be an exclusive provider of OLED panels for iPhone 8.

When operational, the company's new OLED factory, tentatively named “A5”, should have 30 percent higher production capacity than Samsung current biggest factory called “A3”, according to Korean outlet ETNews.

The site added that Samsung began expanding capacity of its upcoming “A3” factory during the second half of 2015 in order to meet Apple's order for a large amount of OLED panels.

According to the report, Samsung Display has secured production capacity of 135,000 OLED panels per month over the next two years, primarily to serve the needs of its two biggest clients: Apple and Samsung Electronics.

iPhone 8 Full Vision Display concept courtesy of iFanr.

Limited OLED availability could hold back iPhone 8 launch sales

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 27, 2017

iPhone 8 production has allegedly hit another roadblock, with a sketchy report Tuesday by Taiwanese outlet DigiTimes suggesting the supposedly limited availability of 5.8-inch OLED display panels could hold back the phone's launch sales.

Citing industry sources, the trade publication says it'll be difficult for Apple to ship up to 60 million OLED-based iPhones in 2017.

“Only 3-4 million OLED-based new iPhone devices will be ready for shipping before the new smartphones are unveiled at a product event slated for September,” reads the article.

The publication did not give the reason for the allegedly limited OLED screen availability beyond stating that yield rates at assembly plants and the supply of OLED panels are “likely to become issues” for the Cupertino firm.

Take the report with a few grains of salt because Samsung Display recently negotiated a lucrative supply deal with Apple to build at least 80 million OLED panels for iPhone 8 in 2017.

In fact, the South Korean conglomerate is said to be supplying OLED screens for both iPhone 9 in 2018 and a yet-to-be-disclosed Apple device with a screen measuring 6.5 inches diagonally, as per The Korea Herald.

Besides, iPhone assemblers Foxconn, Pegatron and Wistron have been stepping up efforts to recruit more workers for their assembly lines in China, indicating that volume production of iPhone 8 is about to kick off.

On top of that, Apple's key chip supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company saw its revenues surge twenty percent sequentially in May, partly driven by shipments of iPhone 8's A11 processors to Apple.

iPhone 8 mockup top of post via Benjamin Geskin

Edge-to-edge dummy offers best look yet at rumored iPhone 8 design

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 23, 2017

iPhone 8 is expected to have a nearly full-screen front face with a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge OLED panel and no “chin” at the handset's top and bottom. Benjamin Geskin has now combined the leaked parts in a dummy unit showing off what iPhone 8 might look like at launch.

The prolific smartphone leakster put a printed image of iOS 10.3.3's beach-themed wallpaper under a glossy screen protector to simulate edge-to-edge display design. He also posted a video on his Twitter account to show off the assembled dummy in motion.

I think this is our best glimpse yet at what iPhone 8 might look like.

#iPhone8 Hands-on Video (sort of)

(Dummy + Printed Picture + Screen Protector) pic.twitter.com/gkKjWH0tLe

— Benjamin Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) June 23, 2017

My only gripe with this Frankenstein iPhone dummy is the top area with a cutout for the front-facing FaceTime camera, the speaker and the phone's various sensors—it just doesn't look right to me. Now, Apple is said to have tested ten different iPhone 8 prototypes.

That said, there's still a chance we might see a fully bezel-less iPhone 8 come this fall rather than this nearly bezel-less appearance. But even if it does end up having that cutout at the top of the OLED display, the sensor dip may not be visible at all.

That's because OLED technology provides deep blacks, thereby making it difficult to tell where the edge of the screen really is, as readily apparent by the OLED screen on Apple Watch.

As the rendering above indicates, Apple could update iOS's status bar at the top so that the icons appear on the left and right side, without the current time being shown in the middle.

That would actually be a smart approach to concealing that sensor dip as much as possible.

Thoughts?

Samsung to supply 80 million AMOLED panels for iPhone 8 in 2017

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 12, 2017

Samsung's display-making arm is set to supply up to eighty million smartphone panels for iPhone 8 in 2017, which will be based on active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) technology, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes reported last week.

On top of that, Samsung will build an additional 80 million AMOLED panels in 2017, but they'll be used to supply orders from Samsung Electronics and its other smartphone clients.

As per sources, Samsung is expected to “keep some flexibility” if Apple places more orders.

The report claims that component makers have now kicked off mass production of parts for both the AMOLED-based iPhone 8 models and the iterative LCD-based updates in the form of iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, the latter two featuring a reinforced glass chassis with a shiny metal frame holding together the “glass sandwich” design.

As indicated by the current manufacturing status of the upstream supply chain, iPhone 8 won't enter mass production until after mid-September, with production volumes in the third quarter pegged at around three million units, meaning Apple will likely be unable to keep up with iPhone 8 demand for a few weeks or even months.

Switching the next iPhone from LCD panels to AMOLEDs is a sea change for Apple's supply chain given the tens of millions of iPhones the Cupertino company sells each quarter. Other suppliers, like Japan Display, Sharp and LG Display are pouring big money into AMOLED production plants, but they're not expected to join Apple's AMOLED supply chain before 2018.

Combined shipments of existing iPhones, including iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE and the 32GB iPhone 6 are estimated to reach a total of 25-30 million units during the second half of 2017, bringing Apple's overall iPhone shipments in the third quarter to around 45-50 million units.

Image: iPhone 8 CNC-machined model via leakster Benjamin Geskin.

iPhone 8’s Touch ID said to use on-screen optical fingerprint scanning

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 26, 2017

Apple is said to have developed a next-generation Touch ID sensor where an OLED display of the device doubles as a fingerprint sensor. This should enable users to rest their finger on the display to authenticate themselves.

According to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News report, citing sources from Apple's chip supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Apple has managed to develop an optical fingerprint sensor to enable authentication directly on the screen.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first called it in January.

He said because Touch ID’s capacitive sensor does not work through the display’s cover glass, Apple could go with an optical sensor which doesn’t require physical contact with a user’s finger.

Other iPhone 8 features, according to a TSMC source, include no physical Home button, the screen ratio of 18.5:9 instead of the previous 16:9 and invisible infrared image sensors to enhance camera functionality and enable augmented reality features.

Apple is understood to have been plagued with yield issues regarding the new optical fingerprint sensor. It's unclear if the company has managed to resolve those technical issues.

Samsung reportedly signs new deal for OLED panel production for iPhone 9

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2017

The Korea Herald is reporting today that Samsung Display, the display-making unit of Samsung Electronics, recently signed yet another deal to build OLED panels for future iPhones. With up to 180 million screens demanded by the iPhone maker, this deal indicates that Apple is laying the groundwork for a much wider adoption of OLED panels in future iPhones.

The new deal is focused on supplying OLED panels for the new iPhone next year, tentatively called “iPhone 9”. To build OLEDs in 5.28 and 6.46-inch sizes, the conglomerate will break ground on a new factory in the South Chungcheong Province in South Korea.

The mentioned 6.46-inch size may point to a future iOS device, potentially due in 2018.

“The two companies have recently signed a non-disclosure agreement on general conditions, including the screen size,” said a source. “Other details such as screen design and functions could be adjusted considering the phone is still under development.”

Samsung Display is already supplying 80 million OLED screens for iPhone 8 this year. iPhone 8 is said to feature a 5.8-inch OLED screen with an active display area of 5.1 inches.

Image: CNC-machined iPhone 8 dummy via Benjamin Geskin

3D Touch component costs for iPhone 8 to double vs iPhone 7

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 19, 2017

Apple is paying between $7 and $9 per unit for iPhone 7's 3D Touch components, but that price is expected to triple for the firm's rumored OLED-based iPhone 8 model to between $18 and $22.

The 150 percent price increase, according to a report in the Chinese-language Economic Daily News cited by DigiTimes, stems from the fact that pressure sensors for OLED displays require a separate protective glass bonding on both the front and rear of the display panel.

“Due to the additional bonding of glass covers, overall processing cost for OLED-based 3D Touch solution is about 50 percent higher than that for the LCD-based one but the quotes for the client is about 150 percent higher,” reads the report.

Taiwanese touch panel makers TPK Holdings and General Interface Solution act as suppliers of 3D Touch parts for existing LCD-based iPhones. Both TPK and General Interface Solution should be the sole suppliers of iPhone 8's enhanced 3D Touch components as well.

Apple has accepted the price increase, according to Economic Daily News.

iPhone 7's 3D Touch module, as mentioned before, directly bonds pressure sensors on the LCD display panel. For OLED display technology, TPK's 3D Touch solution entails bonding of a glass cover on the front and back side of an OLED panel each “to reinforce the fragile panel.”

TPK has reportedly passed certification for its OLED-based 3D Touch solution for iPhone 8. The company now expects to obtain significant orders from Apple.

iPhone 8 dummy indicates Touch ID embedded in OLED display

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 24, 2017

Aside from publishing a purported drawing of iPhone 8's logic board this morning that's “only 70 percent accurate,” Benjamin Gasket this past week shared photos of a dummy CNC iPhone model obtained from a Foxconn source. Of note, it features a single cutout for a vertically aligned dual-camera system with no other cutouts on the backside.

This might indicate that Touch ID could be embedded into iPhone 8's OLED display, as previously suggested. As others have underscored, Benjamin Gasket's Twitter account may not be the most reliable source of Apple leaks so take this report with a big pinch of salt.

iPhone 8 may have physical slit within OLED display for embedded earpiece

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 17, 2017

Purported technical measurements for iPhone 8 that surfaced Monday on iFanr, a site without an established track record, would have us believe that Apple will ship a handset come this fall with a physical slit at the top of its OLED screen for an embedded earpiece and possibly other integrated components, like a 3D camera and sensors.

Not only should the top speaker of iPhone 8 be cut through the glass cover, but the OLED panel itself. Many bloggers and outlets that reported on the story have noted that this may not even be possible.

Samsung and its key Korean suppliers could dominate iPhone 8 supply chain for some time

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 17, 2017

Samsung Display, the display-making unit of Samsung Electronics which holds a 95 percent market share for smartphone OLED panels, should exclusively build curved OLED screens for iPhone 8 during the next two years. The Korea Herald suggested Monday that other South Korean firms have won important contracts for iPhone 8, too.

Nikkei: Apple places order for 70 million bendable OLEDs for iPhone 8 with Samsung

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 3, 2017

Apple has placed a huge order for seventy million bendable organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels with Samsung's display-making arm for use in iPhone 8, Nikkei reported Monday. Apple and Samsung Display, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, signed a deal last year to supply 100 million OLEDs for iPhone 8. In February 2017, Apple contracted Samsung to build an additional 60 million OLEDs for a total of 160 million units in 2017.

New report says iPhone 8 has a slightly curved display at the edges below 2.5D cover glass

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 16, 2017

Nikkei Asian Review yesterday shot down predictions by IHS Markit analyst Wayne Lam and DisplayMate expert Dr. Raymond Soneira who said Apple's 5.8-inch iPhone 8 will use a flat rather than a curved display. However, MacRumors has allegedly confirmed with multiple people familiar with the matter that the phone will indeed come outfitted with a mostly flat AMOLED display.

The device's display will reportedly feature slightly curved left and right edges in order to conform with the layer of 2.5D glass that covers the screen.