Due to OLED changeover: Apple will soon no longer buy displays from Japan
Change in Apple's supply chain: JDI and Sharp soon no longer supply screens for iPhones. The reason: they don't have any suitable OLEDs in their range.
The iPhone SE – here the model from 2020 – does not yet have an OLED. That will probably change soon.
(Image: Apple)
Apple is about to switch all of its iPhones to OLED display technology. At least that's according to the rumor mill, which assumes that the iPhone SE 4 expected for spring 2025 will also be equipped with such a screen for the first time. This does not bode well for one supplier country: Japan would be completely eliminated for the first time, according to the Tokyo-based business news agency Nikkei Asia. Japan Display (JDI) and Sharp would then be removed from Apple's supplier list. The two companies currently supply the LCD screens for the iPhone SE 3.
JDI and Sharp: from 70 percent share to zero
Just ten years ago, JDI and Sharp had a 70 percent share of the iPhone market. With Apple's switch to OLED for its premium models, this figure continued to fall. All standard iPhones released each year are now equipped with OLED technology. These come either from South Korea (Samsung Display, LG Display) or from China (BOE). Supply chain experts currently assume that Samsung Display has a market share of around 50 percent for Apple's OLEDs for the iPhone and LG Display around 30 percent. The rest is supplied by BOE to –, with the Chinese apparently only taking care of the standard models.
The SE is always a special feature for Apple because the model, which is intended for entry-level users, is sold over several years. The current SE 3 was released in 2022 and has been available unchanged ever since. It combines an old housing from the iPhone 6 to 8 generation, including the home button and LCD, with a modern interior (at the time of release). The iPhone SE 4 is now said to be planning to adopt the form factor of the iPhone 14 – including OLED and Face ID facial recognition.
OLED in more and more iPads and soon also in Macs
Apple first installed OLEDs in the iPhone X, which was released in 2017. The organic light-emitting diodes were first used in the premium models before all devices released every year from the iPhone 12 onwards in 2020, including the standard variants, were converted to the technology. For JDI and Sharp, it was therefore already clear that their business with Apple would continue to shrink.
Neither company has yet been able to supply smartphone OLEDs suitable for Apple. However, JDI does offer small, energy-saving screens that Apple uses for its computer watches. Sharp, on the other hand, is increasingly reducing its LCD business. Apple still uses LCD screens in portable Macs and some iPads. The iPad made the switch to OLED for the first time this year with the 11- and 13-inch versions of the Pro M4. Next year, this could also happen with the MacBook Pro devices. Apple has reportedly given up its attempt to switch to micro-LED technology.
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