Did Apple Just Acknowledge Samsung Superiority With 70M OLED Screen Order?

Samsung is Apple’s biggest rival in the smartphone market. No other company even comes close. They fight over everything, from patent rights to device hype. This is why the news of Apple ordering 70 million OLED screens from its Asian competitor is such a big deal, especially since it’s likely to be used for the iPhone 8.

The news was first broken by Nikkei, citing sources within the company that confirmed the order. The Asian publication also notes that based on the number of orders of the screens, Apple is expecting its next iPhone to be a huge hit and will likely sell like, well, iPhones. David Hsieh, the senior director at IHS Markit told the publication that this is pretty much what he expected.

"Apple has ordered 70 million units of OLED panels from Samsung this year, while Samsung is preparing to churn out as many as 95 million for Apple in 2017, in case demand exceeds expectations," Hsieh said.

He added that not all of the 70 million units might ship this year. Instead, the rest will be delivered next year, for the iPhone units that will be sold during the first quarter of 2018.

With regards to Apple’s decision to get its OLED screens from Samsung, the analyst says that this makes a lot of sense. Not only is the Korean company the most advanced in the field, it is also the only one capable of meeting the iPhone maker’s demand volume.

This order marks the first time that Apple will use OLED screens for its iPhone, ZDNet reports, marking the importance of the advanced screen technology for the future of smart devices. As for Samsung itself, the company has been using the screen for its Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, which only adds to its impressive array of features, including facial recognition.