In spite of past arguments and legal troubles between Apple and Samsung, it’s estimated that Samsung will deliver around 80 million OLED screens suitable for the next-gen iPhone before the end of 2017 —but a later than expected date for mass shipments for the phone is still expected.
Per DigiTimes, which cited “sources from the upstream supply chain”, Samsung and other component manufacturers have geared up for supplying components for not just the “iPhone 8,” but the “iPhone 7s” family as well.
Apple’s order of roughly 80 million OLED screens will occupy about half of Smasung’s manufacturing capacity for the final six months of 2017. The rest of the capacity will meet Samsung’s own needs, although it’s thought that some units will remain in reserve should Apple need them.
DigiTimes expects that Apple will ship around 50 million of the “iPhone 8” before the end of 2017 —but will only have about three million on hand for the start of sales. The report claims that true mass production of the device won’t pick up in volume until mid-September.
The next-gen iPhone is though to feature an edge-to-edge OLED panel with a 5.1-inch user space as well as virtual buttons. Slimming or removing the bezels would allow Apple to cram a larger battery into a form factor similar in size to the 4.7-inch iPhone 7. Also expected is a new 3D facial scanner .
As always, stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and DigiTimes