Samsung has been doing foldable smartphones rather well for the last few years. It shouldn’t be surprising that the South Korean company has been tapped to make displays for Apple’s upcoming (but still rumoured) version. A new report from The Elec reckons that Apple’s foldable should be on the way rather soon.
At least, as soon as its South Korean partner can churn out enough OLED displays. The report reckons that Samsung Display’s Vietnam production facility has started production of the panels for delivery later this year.
Samsung folds
And not a small number of panels either. The contract calls for some three million of the things to be delivered this year, part of a three-year exclusive deal that will see the Galaxy Fold maker creating every OLED for Apple’s foldable. The reason for the Vietnam factory’s involvement is that it specialises in the company’s flexible displays. The standard Samsung OLED panel is made in China.
The report claims that Apple’s foldable is expected in September this year. It may not launch alongside the other iPhones that are traditionally launched then, however. Samsung’s screen production supposedly isn’t the bottleneck, either.
Instead, the American company may be having issues with the folding device’s hinge. The partially 3D-printed component is said to be making unwanted noise once the entire phone is assembled. The Elec quotes an unnamed industry source as saying that “Apple appears to be facing challenges in stabilizing production of the hinge module for its first foldable smartphone.” The same source added, “The launch schedule will ultimately depend on Apple’s readiness for device components, particularly the hinge.”
