The website The Elec is a decent source for supply chain news. Yet as a Korean source they look for any rumor to support local display makers Samsung and LG Display at every opportunity against China's BOE. This isn't new. They use "Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt" known as FUD to intentionally put a competitor, such as BOE, at a disadvantage in the market.

In a new report today, The Elec admits that BOE, the "Chinese firm may not get the order," for iPhone 14 displays. Emphasis on "may not."

In late April, Patently Apple posted a report titled "A Shortage of Display Driver Integrated Circuits is Delaying iPhone Displays from BOE." The report noted that "Korea's LX Semicon has decided to support local LG Display as priority leaving BOE stranded." This was reported again in May.

The source of that admission was The Elec who has now decided not to remind their readers of this real supply chain issue for the lack of displays from BOE to one that is conspiratorial in nature, that BOE changed display specs without informing Apple.

BOE's inability to secure parts from LX Semicon may have led to the company having to apply a workaround. The Elec source states that "The Chinese display panel sent a C-level executive and employees to Apple’s headquarters following the incident to explain why they changed the circuit width of the transistors. They also asked the iPhone maker to approve the production of OLED panels for iPhone 14, but didn’t receive a clear response from Apple, they also said." And how would "they" know what transpired during this supposed meeting with Apple?

If you're interested in this supply chain rumor based on "maybe," then be sure to check it out in full here.

In the end, the real supply chain issue, being a lack of parts from LX Semicon as earlier reported on by The Elec, is what BOE must find a workaround for. It also wouldn't hurt BOE to get a PR firm to make their case public to counter the bad publicity being generated by the industry's rumor mill.