Foxconn aggressively acquiring Sharp back in 2016 was to enter the TV market and make OLED panels for Apple. Foxconn was willing to invest in equipment to assist Sharp shift from LCD displays to OLED allowing them to enter Apple's supply chain by 2020; something that the Wall Street Journal only echoed last week. In 2017 Patently Apple reported that Foxconn/Sharp plan to manufacture OLED at an iPhone plant in China.

A new report by Digitimes today refreshes Foxconn's long standing goal. The report states that "Sharp has rolled out its OLED panel line designed for handsets, the sources indicated. Sharp, under the Foxconn (Hon Hai) Group, is also seeking to enter the supply chain for the future iPhones featuring OLED displays."

It was also mentioned that Foxconn's Fitipower is engaged in the development of OLED panel driver ICs jointly with Sharp which could be a plus for Sharp making panels for Apple.

Foxconn has been a long standing stable partner of Apple's and on that basis alone we should see Foxconn/Sharp gain Apple's favor in assisting them make a major push into OLED panel expansion in the next couple of years.

Who else could become an Apple supplier for OLED displays in the future? China's BOE. Patently Apple reported back in 2017 that China's BOE could be gearing up as a future Apple supplier for OLED. Their first OLED displays were being sold to Huawei. A rumor of BOE working to be become an Apple supplier surfaced again last year.

The Digitimes report added today that BOE was improving their production yield rates, a good sign that Apple could being eying them as a future supplier.

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