Apple display supplier BOE is currently in talks to lease dozens of hectares of land in north Vietnam to build a dedicated OLED display panel plant. BOE intends to complete the building by 2025. The displays will likely be used in future iPhones.
Chinese-owned BOE is looking to invest up to $400 million on 100 hectares of land, half of which could be used to build a $250 million factory dedicated to the manufacturing of OLED screens, says Vietnamese newspaper VNExpress.
The plan is another part of Apple’s efforts to reduce its reliance on the Chinese supply chain, due to current geopolitical tensions, as well as China’s ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns.
Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo sees BOE becoming the largest supplier of displays for new iPhones by 2024. The company has reportedly beaten Samsung for the majority of orders for the upcoming iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, and by 2024. The company will start mass shipments of high-end LTPO displays for the iPhone, making it the largest Apple display supplier.
In other display-related news, Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple plans to release the first MacBook with an OLED display as soon as the end of 2024. Kuo tweeted on Wednesday that OLED technology would allow for thinner and lighter MacBook designs.
Also, a report from Bloomberg says Apple has plans to bring the manufacturing of custom displays in-house as early as 2024. The shift to its own displays will allow Apple to rely less on display partners that include Samsung and LG. The displays will likely be manufactured by an outside supplier but designed by Apple.
