BOE: Production problems with iPhone OLEDs for two months

Chinese display manufacturer BOE has reportedly been unable to supply OLED panels for various iPhone models as planned since November 2025. As reported by the Korean industry newspaper The Elec, the production problems have now been ongoing for two months. As a result, several million units had to be transferred to South Korean competitor Samsung Display in December 2025 and January 2026.

Primarily affected are displays for older iPhone generations such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16, which still rely on LTPS OLED technology. It is surprising that BOE is experiencing difficulties with this technically less demanding variant – the company had supplied these panels stably until now. There are also bottlenecks with the newer LTPO OLED displays for the iPhone 17. This technology enables variable refresh rates between 1 and 120 Hertz and is used in the premium models.

Samsung benefits from BOE's failure

Samsung was able to strengthen its market position by taking over the failed production volumes. The South Korean company has significantly larger manufacturing capacities than LG Display and can serve various iPhone models in parallel, the report states. Industry experts estimate that BOE delivered less than 40 million iPhone OLED units in 2024 – with an original monthly volume of around 3 million units.

The failures could be particularly problematic for the already available iPhone 16e and the iPhone 17e planned for spring 2026, which are based on the display technology of the iPhone 14. BOE had received the largest order among all suppliers for the iPhone 17e, which is scheduled to be released in the first half of 2026. The ongoing manufacturing problems now jeopardize these plans.

Apple's supply chain under pressure

For Apple, the production failures at BOE mean a strain on the supply chain for the 2026 models. The company had increasingly integrated BOE into its OLED supply since 2021 to reduce its dependence on the established South Korean manufacturers Samsung and LG. The hardware plans for 2026 include not only the standard iPhones but also a foldable model, in which OLED displays play a central role.

The technical background of the production difficulties at BOE is unclear. Neither Apple nor BOE have officially commented on the failures. Industry observers suspect difficulties in specific manufacturing processes that lead to production line shutdowns. Analysts assume that Apple will increasingly rely on Samsung again in the medium term to ensure the supply of high-quality OLED panels.

(mki)