Apple’s first foldable iPhone may be hogging headlines, but Samsung could be the real winner from the launch. As part of a new three-year exclusive supply deal with Samsung, Apple will reportedly pay around $250 for every foldable display panel that goes into the iPhone Duo, making it one of the most expensive components in the device.
The figure is reportedly higher than what Samsung itself pays for the foldable OLED panels used in its own Galaxy Z series phones. Apple’s foldable display alone may cost more than several complete mid-range smartphones.
Samsung Display has secured a three-year exclusive agreement to supply foldable OLED panels for the iPhone Duo and future foldable iPhone models. An industry publication The Elec, reported that Samsung Display proposed the exclusivity clause itself, and Apple accepted the terms.
The exclusivity isn’t just about pricing power. Apple reportedly had limited alternatives. China’s BOE, which supplies foldable panels to Huawei, reportedly failed to meet Apple’s quality and yield requirements.
LG Display, meanwhile, does not yet have a proven track record producing foldable smartphone panels at scale. That left Samsung Display as effectively the only supplier capable of meeting Apple’s specifications for a mass-market foldable device.
The iPhone Duo is the first device on the market to use Samsung’s newer M16 OLED material set, which is said to bring improvements in brightness, colour performance, panel lifespan and power efficiency compared to earlier OLED generations.
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