LG Invests $1.75 Billion in Effort to Produce iPhone 8’s Flexible OLED Display

With it all but confirmed that Apple will be making the switch from LCD to OLED display technology by as early as next year, speculation has run rampant as to who in the components manufacturing space will score the lion’s share of those new component orders.

It was reported earlier this month, according to DigiTimes, that Samsung is currently developing the capacity to deliver up to 40 million OLED display panels to Apple ahead of the Silicon Valley tech-giant’s highly anticipated 2017 iPhone overhauling.

However, if Apple’s impending switch to OLED goes over well — as many prominent analysts are predicting that it will, it’s only reasonable to assume that the company will need to perhaps diversify its OLED suppliers in order to help meet future demand.

Enter LG — long-time Apple LCD display supplier, and, ironically enough, one of the largest OLED display manufacturers around — second only to Samsung.

Well, as of this morning, LG has officially reported that it will invest as much as 1.99 trillion won ($1.75 billion USD) on the development of a new, highly advanced flexible OLED display production line. It’s a rather bold move, to be sure; however it’s one that could, quite easily so, catapult LG into the position of being a serious contender for supplying future iPhone OLED display panels.

Nestled in the foothills of Paju, a bustling Seoul, South Korea suburb, LG’s highly advanced, sixth-generation OLED production line is currently in the final stages of development.

So far, LG has reportedly spent upwards of 500 billion won ($440.7 million USD) on the infrastructure of the facility; and while the company intends to spend more as the development progresses, it doesn’t expect to initiate large scale manufacturing until at least mid 2018.

LG also admitted that the OLED production facility in Paju is specifically geared towards mobile technology — such as the development of displays for phones and tablets.

As most of us know by now, Apple is widely expected to transition from the severely outdated, generations-old LCD display technology, to an advanced OLED display tech as part of its effort to overhaul the iPhone in 2017.

Of course, if Apple does end up making the switch to OLED next year, it’ll be too early for LG to wiggle its way into the supply chain. However, as time progresses, if demand for OLED panels maintains growth and consistency thereof, it’s very possible that LG ends up becoming a major OLED supplier to Apple, too — just like Samsung.

What do you think about the overhauled iPhone expected next year? Let us know in the comments!

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