2019 iPhone Variant to Sport New Samsung Touch-Integrated Flexible OLED Display: Report

Apple has reportedly struck a deal with Samsung for touch-integrated flexible OLED panels supply for next year iPhones. These new OLED display panels will be integrated in at least one of the 2019 iPhones, claimed to be called the iPhone 11. These new panels will help Apple in making the new model thinner and lighter than the current generation iPhones. Samsung will initially be able to produce these new touch-integrated flexible OLED panels in limited quantities, which is why only one variant will see the new display.

ETNews reports that a Samsung executive went to meet Apple in March this year, to propose the supply of these new panels. The report states that the two companies have now agreed upon a deal to supply the new touch-integrated flexible OLED panels for one of the models of the iPhone launching next year.

Samsung Display is the first to make these touch-integrated flexible OLED panels, and these panels are said to make the next-gen iPhone even thinner and lighter. This will be made possible as Samsung has managed to integrate the touchscreen functionality into the display itself, eliminating the need to integrate a separate touchscreen panel (TSP). The removal of TSP will also reduce component cost, giving Apple more room for upgrade in other departments. Samsung calls its touch-integrated flexible OLED panel as Y-Octa (Youm On-Cell Touch).

Apple's efforts to reduce Samsung dependence for display supply have been ongoing since last year. While Samsung has been the exclusive supplier for OLED panels for the iPhone X, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max, LG is said to start producing OLED panels for iPhone XS Max from this month. In any case, Samsung now has these exclusive touch-integrated panels that it will supply for at least one of the iPhone models next year.