LG rumored again to join Samsung as OLED display supplier for 2019 iPhones

Word on the street is that Apple is going to tap additional companies beyond Samsung to handle orders for OLED iPhone displays.

According to a new analyst report from Barclays, which was viewed by MacRumors, Apple is going to tap the Life’s Good crew to pick up some orders for OLED displays, which will be used for the iPhone lineup as early as 2019. As it stands right now, it’s believed that Samsung is the exclusive supplier for OLED displays for the iPhone.

That’s not all, though, as the analyst note suggests Chinese supplier BOE could start handling OLED display orders as early as 2020.

Apple tapping LG as a supply partner for OLED displays is not a new rumor by any means. In fact, LG Display’s future as an Apple partner in this regard was rumored as far back as June of 2018, and has reappeared off-and-on repeatedly.

In 2019, it’s expected that we’re going to see two iPhone models with OLED displays: the successor to the iPhone XS with a 5.8-inch display and the iPhone XS Max’s follow-up with a 6.5-inch display. Meanwhile, the third 2019 iPhone model, the iPhone XR’s successor, is said to feature a 6.1-inch LCD display.

However, by the time 2020 rolls around, Apple is rumored to switch to an all-OLED lineup, with three new iPhone models equipped with the display technology and dropping LCD.

Quality may come into question if Apple does shift away from an exclusive deal with Samsung, as far as OLED displays are concerned. Samsung has been leading the charge here for quite some time, as far as smartphones are concerned (LG’s OLED TVs are pretty fantastic). But this is Apple, so it’s likely that the company will keep its strict rules for its OLED display technology and bullet points for specs.

Either way, if Apple is indeed switching to an all-OLED lineup in 2020, more supply partners is probably a necessity.