Well-connected industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Japan Display will supply OLED displays for the upcoming Apple Watch Series 5, slated to launch this fall.
In a research note shared with Chinese media outlets today, Kuo forecasted that Japan Display will start with 15-20% of display orders in 2019, gradually expanding to 70-80% by 2021.
Kuo also sees Apple gradually increasing the use of LG’s supply of OLED displays for iPhones, and will also call on Chinese manufacturer BOE as an additional supplier, in a bid to diversify its supply chain. Samsung currently handles the lion’s share of those displays.
The Apple Watch Series 5 is likely to be unveiled early next month, alongside a trio of new 2019 iPhone handsets. The rumor mill has been quiet where the Series 5 is concerned, but the new model is expected to debut in September, as have the Series 1 thorough Series 4 models.
Kuo has mentioned earlier in the year that a “new ceramic casing design” would added to the Apple Watch lineup, but did not specify the Series 5 lineup.