What you need to know
- Apple has added another supplier to its iPhone 13 display cohort.
- China's BOE will enter the fray, putting pressure on existing suppliers.
- It comes as Apple struggles to meet iPhone demand due to chip shortages.
A new report says that Apple has added BOE to its list of iPhone 13 display suppliers in a huge break for the Chinese company.
Nikkei Asia reports:
Apple has added China's BOE Technology to its list of premium display suppliers for the latest iPhone, providing a major boost to Beijing's tech ambitions -- and added pressure on existing suppliers like Samsung.
According to the report, BOE will supply OLEDs for Apple's regular iPhone 13 (6.1-inch). It started in September and is due to increase production as long as it passes a final verification test, which one source said would be a formality:
"It is in the process of final testing, but based on the results of earlier samples, BOE should have no problem passing the tests," an executive-level source with direct knowledge of the matter told Nikkei Asia. "The foundation of the collaboration between Apple and BOE is based on their previous project on the iPhone 12, and both Apple and BOE want this to happen soon."
A big break for the company, BOE has tried to get into Apple's flagship supply chain for years, previously supplying OLEDs for refurbished devices and repairs.
Whilst display suppliers are plentiful, Apple is reportedly cutting back on orders of its new best iPhone because of chip shortages. From Tuesday:
As reported by Bloomberg, the company could decrease iPhone 13 production for 2021 by as many as 10 million units, according to "people familiar with the matter."The company had expected to produce 90 million new iPhone models in the last three months of the year, but it's now telling manufacturing partners that the total will be lower because Broadcom Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. are struggling to deliver enough components, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the situation is private.
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