Way back in 2017 Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple may Gain BOE as a new Supply Chain Participant for future Flexible OLED Displays." This past July we posted another report titled "Apple may Finally add BOE as an OLED Supplier should Japan Continue to Restrict sales of Key Display Materials to Samsung."

BOE has since 2017 supplied LCD panels to Apple for its MacBook and iPad, increasing pressure on established players such as Samsung Display, LG Display, JDI, Sharp and Taiwan’s AU Optoelectronics.

Today the ongoing rumor of BOE entering Apple's supply chain for OLED display for iPhones continues with a new report by the Nikkei Asian Review.

The Nikkei report claims that "Apple is in the final stages of certifying advanced screens from China's top display maker BOE Technology Group for iPhones next year, as the U.S. tech giant attempts to cut costs and reduce its reliance on South Korea's Samsung Electronics."

In June Apple was in a dispute with Samsung over a contract penalty kicking in due to lower than expected OLED demand. Samsung deciding to make their disagreement with Apple public could have been one of the triggers to accelerate Apple's decision to bring BOE on line for 2020 iPhones.

The Nikkei report further noted that "The entry of BOE into one of the world’s most demanding smartphone supply chains would mark a significant leap forward for the Chinese display panel industry. The entry of BOE as an OLED supplier could threaten Samsung Display’s position and give Apple more bargaining power to win price cuts from the South Koran suppliers.

BOE, which began producing flexible OLED screens at the end of 2017, also supplies the advanced displays to Huawei’s revolutionary Mate X foldable smartphone, a rival to Samsung’s Galaxy Fold."

Lastly, the Nikkei report hinted that BOE is still vulnerable to a potential crackdown from the U.S., where companies such as Corning, 3M, and Applied Materials provide the most crucial materials and equipment to make those screens.

Any attempt by the U.S. to clamp down on supplies to BOE -- as Washington did to Huawei Technologies -- could hit the Chinese display champion badly. BOE was founded in 1993 in Beijing as a former military and defense supplier." For more read the full Nikkei Asian Review report

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