New screen troubles for iPhone 17 give Samsung a major boost

A key screen supplier, BOE, is running into serious trouble providing the special display panels (OLED screens) for Apple’s newest phone lineup, the iPhone 17. Because of these technical setbacks, a main competitor, Samsung Display, is now expected to land a much bigger supply deal with Apple.

Sources familiar with the matter confirm that BOE has faced quality control and technical difficulties that it has not yet managed to fix. This means the company will be unable to deliver the display panels it was planning to ship this year. As a direct result, Samsung Display will likely be stepping in to cover the missing supply needed to build the phones.

The iPhone 17 is Apple’s current flagship model and is available in four versions: the standard, Air, Pro, and Pro Max. Apple is expecting to ship more than 90 million units of this new series throughout the year. The screens for these devices are usually provided mainly by Samsung Display and LG Display. At the moment, Samsung provides displays for all four models, while LG supplies three of the versions, not including the Pro.

BOE had originally planned to provide screens, specifically for the high-end iPhone 17 Pro models in the Chinese market. The main issue stems from Apple’s decision to use a more advanced screen feature called LTPO across the entire iPhone 17 series this year. This proved to be a major hurdle for BOE, which did not have prior experience making LTPO panels for Apple.

After many months of work, BOE finally received approval to start large-scale production in the early third quarter, to supply up to ten million panels. However, problems with reliability kept happening. By mid-November, these ongoing issues were still not solved. Due to these failures, BOE’s expected total shipments, which could have reached 40 million screens, will now be significantly lower.

Samsung Display is currently bridging this gap. Its screen supply to Apple is expected to increase from an initial 80 million panels to roughly 90 million this year. This is a critical move that will ensure Apple can still meet its manufacturing targets for all four iPhone 17 models without delay.

With BOE struggling to deliver, Samsung Display is now set to further solidify its position as Apple’s most important partner for OLED screens. The company stands to gain more business and maintain its lead in the competitive iPhone screen market throughout 2025.