Samsung in talks with Apple to supply OLED displays for future iPhones

Samsung is reported to be in talks with Apple to start supplying OLED display panels for future iPhones. The development comes years after Apple chose IPS panels to offer Retina display technology on its iPhones.

According to a report by Korean IT news site ETNews, citing some internal sources, Samsung is negotiating with Apple to supply the panels. The company has L5 facilities in South Korea that are expected to start producing new panels if the deal is clinched.

Companies like LG Display, Japan Display (JDI) and Sharp have already been supplying IPS LCD panels for iPhones but the new report suggests that some future iPhone models would have OLED display panels to deliver brighter and sharper images. The new deal would enable Samsung to surpass its closest home-grown competitor LG, though both are struggling to sell adequate quantities of their flexible OLED panels in the global market.

Samsung is the sole supplier of OLED display panels for the Apple Watch. Price and supply could still be two major issues as OLED panels require more resources for production compared to LCD and TFT panels.

In Q3 2015, Samsung's display division saw a 30% quarter-over-quarter increase in shipments due to increased demand for mid- and low-end panels. Samsung is facing tough competition in the OLED display panel market with the entry of several Chinese companies with their distinct offerings.

The Korean company has Super AMOLED as its patented technology giving it an edge in the smartphone market. It has also been working on flexible display technology to develop foldable mobile devices sometime in the future.