Apple has another unpleasant situation, although this time it does not directly concern the development of iPhones, but their production. According to information from The Elec, the Chinese supplier of OLED panels BOE has again run into trouble, which AppThere was no choice but to move millions of orders to Samsung Display, at a time when the production of the entire next generation of iPhones is being prepared.
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Supply chain sources say BOE has still not been able to resolve production issues that emerged late last year. Specifically, it is said that there are problems in one of the key manufacturing processes that forced the company to completely stop panel production for some models. This is for Apple a major problem, as BOE was responsible for supplying OLED displays for iPhones 13 to 17, including the more affordable “e” series models, in the second half of 2025. The problems are most affecting panels intended for iPhone 15, 16 and 17. This is all the more surprising because BOE has been supplying LTPS OLED panels for the iPhone 15 and 16 for a long time without any major complications. Yes, the iPhone 17 is expected to use more technologically demanding LTPO panels, but older models should not pose such a problem. That is why industry sources are somewhat surprised by the situation. Apple So he had to act quickly and the solution was basically the only possible one. To transfer some of the orders to competitors. The biggest winner of the whole situation is Samsung Display, which in the last two months has taken over millions of panels originally intended for BOE. Pro Samsung is further consolidating its already strong position as the main supplier of OLED displays for iPhones.
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BOE is now mainly focused on ensuring stable panel production for iPhone 17e, which should arrive in the spring. It is for this model that the Chinese manufacturer has the largest allocated share of all suppliers, so another failure could have longer-term consequences. In 2024, BOE already delivered AppThe company shipped around 40 million OLED panels, but due to current problems, last year's numbers are expected to be significantly lower. The whole situation comes shortly after a relatively tense period of relations between BOE and Samsung. Samsung Display accused BOE of stealing trade secrets and violating patents in the field of AMOLED technology, which resulted in an investigation by the US Trade Commission (ITC) and preliminary import bans. Although theseonec ended in a settlement at the end of 2025, when BOE agreed to pay royalties, but the company's reputation certainly did not suffer only minilittle by little.
Pro Apple It's another reminder of how fragile the supply chain can be, even for seemingly routine component. In the short term, the situation should not have any dramatic impact on the availability of iPhones, but in the long term it may mean even greater dependence Applu on Samsung. And that's exactly the scenario that Apple they have been trying to systematically avoid it for years.
