Apple Inc. will have to wait until at least 2019 to be able to move beyond Samsung Electronics Co. for significant alternative supplies of next-generation, organic light-emitting diode screens for iPhones, according to people familiar with the matter.
LG Display Co., a longtime supplier of liquid crystal displays for existing iPhone models, is targeting full-fledged shipments of OLED screens in 2019, with only small shipments possible toward the end of next year, the sources said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. LG is still negotiating the size of up-front payments and details, though talks are in the final stages, said one of the people.
Apple has been aiming to adopt OLED technology because of its vibrant colors and lower energy consumption, but has been hampered by limited availability. Samsung, its primary competitor in smartphones, is the dominant manufacturer of OLED screens and has used the technology in its own phones as well as selling it to Apple rivals. The Cupertino, California-based company will introduce its new iPhone next week, with one of three models expected to feature OLED panels from Samsung.