Rumor: Apple, Samsung Display sign $2.59 billion deal to supply 100 million OLED units to Apple in 2017

Past (and present) lawsuits aside, there’s plenty of money to be made when Apple and Samsung join forces to create something.

A new report has stated that Apple and Samsung have reached a deal to supply 100 million OLED display units to Apple beginning in 2017.

The agreement between Apple and Samsung is reportedly worth around $2.59 billion and the two companies are expected to maintain the agreement for at least three years. Furthermore, the agreement is for 100 million 5.5-inch OLED displays. The report makes no mention of Samsung providing any 4.7-inch panels.

According to the terms of the deal, Samsung Display will supply 100 million 5.5-inch OLED units annually, with the value being estimated at 3 trillion won ($2.59 billion). Samsung Display, an affiliate of Samsung Electronics Co., declined to confirm the deal, citing its privacy policy.

Recent reports have indicated that Apple is looking to switch to OLED panels for the next-gen 5.5-inch iPhone. Other reports had pinpointed this transition around 2018 or 2019. Today’s report points to Apple switching all that much sooner, bringing the first OLED iPhones to market in 2017.

Last month, KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple would entirely revamp its iPhone lineup in 2017. Kuo said that Apple would switch to a device with a “completely new form factor design” with more narrow bezels and a “more comfortably grip” and an all-glass design like the iPhone 4/4s. The report also noted that Apple was considering a 5.8-inch model, as well as wireless charging.

The Apple Watch features an OLED display, which allows for much deeper blacks and improved viewing in bright sunlight conditions.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via 9to5Mac and the Korean Herald