According to a new report from ITHome, LG Display, which is expected to play an increasingly important role in Apple’s supply chain, is planning to double its production capacity for OLED displays specifically for Apple, as the company is expected to include OLED technology in more devices in the future.
According to the report, LG Display, a subsidiary of LG, is investing in additional equipment to double its small OLED display panels output from 30,000 per month to 60,000. LG Display declined to comment; however, the report cites a source stating that the increased capacity will almost be entirely used for OLED displays meant for Apple devices.
Apple currently uses OLED displays in its higher-end iPhones and has done so since the introduction of the iPhone X in 2017. Lower-end models of the iPhone, such as the iPhone XR and iPhone SE 2, continue to use LCD technology thanks to their lower costs.
Apple has only used OLED and LCD technology until April, but with the release of the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, Apple has added mini-LED to the family. Apple will expand mini-LED to the Mac with the upcoming updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros.
Despite the fact that mini-LEDs have recently been included in Apple products, the company plans to introduce OLED to some iPad models for the first time. While one story claims that the fifth-generation iPad Air, believed to be released next year, will feature an OLED display, more reputable sources claim that the first iPad with an OLED display will be released in 2023.
James Hoyoung Jeong, CEO of LG Display, expressed his expectation that the new facility will “enable more fast adoption of OLED panels in the market.” Large OLED panels, he said, are an “important growth engine” for LG Display. According to LG Display, the new factory’s production capacity might be extended to 90,000 sheets per month in the future.
