A new supply chain report this morning claims that Apple has given China's display maker BOE conditional approval to supply OLED panels for the new iPhone 13 series.  Apple gives risk orders for components they wish to sell only in a specific region or want sufficient stock of the components for their initial product batches.

For Apple, including BOE in its OLED panel supply chain gives it more leverage to cut unit prices of panels from Samsung Display and LG Display.

BOE is currently manufacturing OLED panels for iPhone 13 at its B11 line at Sichuan Province in China, people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

It has also received approval to supply panels for refurbished iPhone 12 and is now also manufacturing panels for new iPhone 12 phones. BOE supplies 6.06-inch OLED panels for the standard iPhone 12.

The Chinese company is also aiming to supply 6.06-inch OLED panels for the standard iPhone 13 model this year.

Apple is also planning to apply low temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) OLED panels on at least one of the four models planned for iPhone 14.

BOE has also been supplying Apple with LTPS OLED panels. Apple used low temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) for the first in the two higher tier models of iPhone 13 this year. The two lesser tier models used LTPS OLED panels.

LTPO TFT supports 120Hz refresh rate, and Samsung Display was the sole supplier of the panels. LG Display is also eyeing LTPO TFT OLED panel supply to Apple for the first time in 2022. BOE will only be able to manufacture the panels in mid to late 2022 if all goes well.