Apple to team up with China's BOE for iPhone SE 4's 6.1-inch OLED panel: report

Aside from working on its next-gen iPhone 15 series, Apple is reportedly prepping to take the wraps off the iPhone SE 4 next year. As expected, the purported iPhone SE 3 successor has been floating around the rumour mill for quite some time now.

Also, many iPhone SE 4 leaks have been popping up on the web lately. Reliable analysts claim the next iPhone SE will feature an OLED panel with a notch for the front shooter. A new report from The Elec suggests China's BOE will supply the OLED panel for the iPhone SE 4.

As a result, Samsung could lose some business opportunities from the Cupertino-based tech giant next year. Nevertheless, this will enable Apple to cut costs by offering the next-gen iPhone SE with a more pocket-friendly OLED panel than the one it is reportedly planning to use with the iPhone 15 series.

The report adds the next SE series iPhone will sport a 6.1-inch OLED panel, which will be made by BOE. It is worth mentioning that the OLED panel supplied by BOE will cost around $40. The OLED panels supplied by Samsung Display and LG Display cost around $100.

Apple is more likely to team up with BOE for iPhone SE 4 OLED panel

Apple could use the Samsung Display and LG Display-supplied OLED panels for the iPhone 15 series and the OLED iPad models. This will help the American tech firm to keep the pricing of the iPhone SE 4 in check. BOE reportedly missed the first shipment of the iPhone 15 OLED. Nevertheless, it will supply OLED panels for the low-end iPhone SE 4.

It is also worth noting that Apple makes 19 per cent of its annual sales in China. So, the company will probably choose BOE as the main supplier for the iPhone SE 4 OLED panels since it has to consider the interest of the Chinese government as well. BOE will reportedly supply 6.1-inch OLED for the 4th generation of iPhone SE.

Interestingly, the iPhone SE series has featured only LCD (liquid crystal display). So, the iPhone SE 4 will be the first SE model to come with an OLED panel. The iPhone SE lineup targets those new to the iPhone and is usually launched in emerging markets like India.

By the time the iPhone SE 4 goes official next year, Samsung Display will have eight production models, which include four upcoming iPhone 15 series models. Likewise, LG Display would prefer to focus more on LTPO models for higher-end devices since it has a smaller production capacity than Samsung Display.

According to some reports, OLED shipments for the 4th-gen iPhone SE could be around 20 million units in 2024. BOE is reportedly working on the OLED panels for the Plus models but is facing challenges in making Dynamic Islands on the displays. Samsung Display and LG Display are expected to start mass production of the iPhone 15 OLED panel's first batch in June.

Moreover, the report suggests that BOE will also make iPhone 15 OLED, but it will be for the refurbished (repaired) models rather than the new ones. According to a report by 91mobiles, the iPhone SE 4 could retain the body, specifications, and some components of the iPhone 14. This is a major sign that the iPhone SE 4 will have an OLED panel.

Some reports indicate the iPhone SE 4 will feature a 6.1-inch LTPO panel that supports a standard 60Hz refresh rate. On the other hand, the iPhone 15 series models could get the ProMotion Display with a refresh rate of 120Hz.