Apple trusts Samsung for foldable iPhone

New information has emerged that Apple will work with Samsung Display to supply the screen for the first foldable iPhone model. According to a news source from South Korea, Apple will meet its foldable OLED panel needs only through Samsung Display for the next few years. This development shows that the company’s foldable iPhone plans, which have been on the agenda for a long time, have reached a more concrete stage.

In the news published by The Elec and based on industry sources, it is stated that Samsung Display will provide foldable OLED panels to Apple for three years. It is also stated that Apple will not work with a different panel manufacturer in this process. This reveals that Samsung’s production capacity and quality standard in foldable screen technologies are preferred by Apple.

Samsung Display is expected to start production of these panels in the second quarter of the year. It is shared that approximately 3 million units will be shipped in the first stage. While this production volume indicates that Apple may initially offer the foldable iPhone model in limited numbers, it seems possible to increase the capacity depending on demand.

Apple may introduce its first foldable phone in the fall

The technical details in the report provide important clues about the structure of the screen that Apple will use. Accordingly, CoE (Color-on-Encapsulation) technology will be used in foldable OLED panels. In this approach, the color filter layer is placed directly on the encapsulation layer, thus eliminating the need for a polarizer layer. In this way, it is possible to make the screen thinner and more flexible, while also providing an advantage in terms of energy efficiency.

In addition, it is stated that the panels will use Samsung’s new generation light-emitting material called M14. It is claimed that the same material will be included in the iPhone 17 Pro Max model. This choice indicates that more advanced performance can be offered in matters such as screen brightness, color accuracy and longevity. Despite this, the durability of foldable screens and problems such as fold marks that may occur in long-term use are still among the topics that are carefully monitored.

It is stated that Apple’s first foldable iPhone model may be called iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra. The launch is expected to take place in September with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. This schedule suggests that Apple is taking a cautious but planned approach to entering the foldable device category.