Apple to Slash iPhone SE 4 Production Costs by Utilizing iPhone 13 OLED Panels

In a move to cut production costs, Apple plans to reuse iPhone 13 OLED panels for the upcoming iPhone SE 4, insiders reveal.

Reusing iPhone 13 OLED Panels

There have been rumors that Apple's future budget iPhone SE 4 will employ the same manufacturing technique as the iPhone 16's rear panel. However, this does not guarantee that the handset will include the latest hardware.

Apparently, in an effort to cut costs, the display will be several generations old, reusing the OLED panel from the iPhone 13, WCCFTECH reports.

Reportedly, Samsung and BOE were in a pricing war, and the Chinese display producer came out on top after accepting Apple's $25 offer per OLED, a sum that Samsung turned down because of its slim profit margins.

LG and BOE to Supply Panels

Nevertheless, according to The Elec, LG will join BOE as an additional supplier for the displays of the iPhone SE 4. LG is anticipated to provide display modules for older iPhone models.

Although the low-cost model's official launch is likely to occur in early 2025, earlier reports indicated that mass production will begin in October.

The article claims that Apple would decrease production costs by lowering display standards and reusing the OLED panels from the iPhone 13, although it does not specify how much the iPhone SE 4 will cost.

SE 4 Not a 'Home Run' Product

This could lead to a decrease in total brightness and less accurate color production on the iPhone SE 4 screen, in addition to the lack of ProMotion compatibility, all of which could negatively impact the user experience.

Considering that Apple never meant for the iPhone SE 4 to be a "home run" product, the reported 20 million OLED handsets supplied by BOE is a reasonable number. It is highly improbable that the European display maker Tianma will be included to the supply chain for the iPhone SE 4, despite its efforts to win over Apple.