BOE Wants More Apple
If nothing else China’s largest LCD producer BOE (200725.CH) is persistent. The company has been trying to enter Apple’s OLED display supply chain for over two years and finally has qualified to become a 3rd supplier to Apple for iPhone OLED displays (see our note 11/8/2021) late last year. While the company is in the early stages of its flexible OLED relationship with Apple, it seems BOE is not wasting any time about pushing forward toward increasing that relationship.
According to local South Korean press, BOE is modifying the 3rd phase installation of its B12 Gen 6 OLED fab in Chongqing, to be able to produce flexible IT panels, rather than smaller flexible smartphone panels, as are the other two lines at the B12 fab. Expectations are that they will adapt the line, which is expected to begin equipment installation at the beginning of 2Q, to handle displays up to 15”, above the ~10” size used in the iPad. The line is also expected to be able to manage a tandem (2 stack) OLED structure, different than the single stack used in smartphones.
BOE would again be in contention with Samsung Display (pvt) and LG Display (LPL), who are also small panel OLED suppliers to Apple, with Samsung dominating the flexible OLED tablet in laptop market. Both SDC and LGD are said to be developing Gen 8 OLED fab capabilities in order to expand their ability to supply larger OLED displays to Apple and others, while BOE’s B12 fab is Gen 6, leading some to believe that the BOE B12 Phase 3 line is a pilot for a for a Gen 8.5 fab to be built in the future.
According to local South Korean press, BOE is modifying the 3rd phase installation of its B12 Gen 6 OLED fab in Chongqing, to be able to produce flexible IT panels, rather than smaller flexible smartphone panels, as are the other two lines at the B12 fab. Expectations are that they will adapt the line, which is expected to begin equipment installation at the beginning of 2Q, to handle displays up to 15”, above the ~10” size used in the iPad. The line is also expected to be able to manage a tandem (2 stack) OLED structure, different than the single stack used in smartphones.
BOE would again be in contention with Samsung Display (pvt) and LG Display (LPL), who are also small panel OLED suppliers to Apple, with Samsung dominating the flexible OLED tablet in laptop market. Both SDC and LGD are said to be developing Gen 8 OLED fab capabilities in order to expand their ability to supply larger OLED displays to Apple and others, while BOE’s B12 fab is Gen 6, leading some to believe that the BOE B12 Phase 3 line is a pilot for a for a Gen 8.5 fab to be built in the future.
RSS Feed