Apple opts for sole partnership with Samsung on foldable OLED panels
Apple turns to rival Samsung for its first foldable. A report confirms a three-year exclusive deal for OLED panels after other suppliers failed to meet Apple’s standards.
Once consumers finally get their hands on the Apple foldable, they will ironically be spending their time staring at a Samsung screen.
Reports indicate that Apple has signed a three-year exclusive deal with Samsung Display to supply OLED panels for the upcoming foldable device. While Apple is known to split its display deals between several suppliers for its other hardware, the brand has opted to work solely with Samsung on this project because other suppliers that work with foldable panels have not met Apple’s standards, according to Korean publication The Elec.
The deal, proposed by Samsung, could give the manufacturer an advantage for several years as Apple would not be able to work with other suppliers until at least 2029. The report detailed that Apple’s other usual display suppliers include BOE and LG Display. The Chinese supplier, BOE Technology Group, is working to supply foldable panels to other brands, such as Huawei. However, Apple is said to have passed on using these components due to them not meeting the brand’s durability, quality, and yield requirements. LG Display is currently not heavily invested in the foldable panel business.
Recent reports indicate that Apple is in its trial production phase of the foldable iPhone, with plans to begin mass production in July if its current plans go smoothly. Similarly, Samsung Display has to start mass-producing an initial shipment of 3 million foldable OLED panels for Apple during the second quarter of 2026.
Other reports suggest Samsung Display may yield up to 10 million foldable OLED panels during the second half of the year, with the manufacturer likely to use its latest ‘M16’ material to develop the panels, according to ET News.
Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman noted that the foldable will open into a wide display landscape view (hotdog-style), with Apple planning updates to iOS to give it more of an iPadOS flair, given its size and design.
CNET’s Prakhar Khanna, noted that while consumers have waited for the launch of the iPhone foldable, other smartphone manufacturers have mastered several device pain points that Apple stands to benefit from, including creaseless folding screens, antireflective screens, larger batteries that fit within slimmer designs, near flagship quality cameras, multitasking improvement thanks to the larger screens, and increased durability in designs.
The official name of the foldable iPhone remains unknown; however, the media has taken to calling the device the “iPhone Fold” or “iPhone Ultra” based on insider reports.
The foldable is expected to exceed $2,000.