LG Display also participates in LTPO OLED development…compared to next year
All new iPhones are expected to apply the LTPO method in the second half of next year
Samsung Display is expected to supply organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels for the top two models of the new Apple iPhone to be released in the second half of this year. The top two models employ low-power display technology. LG Display cannot supply OLED panels with low-power display technology to this year’s iPhone model, but will participate in product development for next year.
According to the industry on the 6th, it was found that Samsung Display will supply the low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin film transistor (TFT) type OLED panel used in the top two models of the iPhone 13 (tentative name) series to be released this year. The iPhone 13 series consists of four models and all use OLED panels. Among these, the top two models apply LTPO type OLED, which can save display driving power and supports 120 hertz (Hz) screen refresh rate.
Samsung Display applied the LTPO OLED panel for the first time as a smartphone to Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, which was already released last year. The company calls this technology’HOP’ (Hybrid Oxide and Polycrystalline Silicon) or’Adaptive Frequency’ technology.
Samsung Display is expected to convert part of the A3 production line in Tangjeong, Asan, Chungnam, to the LTPO TFT line. The production capacity here is 105,000 sheets (105K) per month based on the input of original plates. Among them, the industry expects to convert 60K per month to the LTPO TFT production line.
LG Display is not able to supply LTPO OLED panels for iPhone to Apple this year, but it is known to participate in product development. LG Display seems to be preparing for next year and beyond.
Apple plans to apply LTPO OLED panels to all models starting with the new iPhone, which is scheduled to be released in the second half of next year. LG Display requested to participate in the development of the LTPO type iPhone 13 series, and it is reported that Apple has accepted it. For Apple to lower its dependence on Samsung Display, it is advantageous in price negotiations when LG Display secures LTPO OLED panel technology.
LG Display is installing a 5K scale LTPO TFT production line at the E6 production line in Paju, Gyeonggi-do. In the first half and the second half of the year, the company plans to place additional orders for 10K units each and complete the 25K LTPO investment by the end of the year.
TFT is a component that turns the display screen on and off and controls pixels. Compared to the existing low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) method, the LTPO TFT adds an oxide (oxide) process to the TFT process, which increases the panel manufacturing period by about two weeks. The process also gets tricky.
In the iPhone 12 series released last year, Samsung Display alone supplied an On-Cell OLED panel with a touch electrode embedded in the panel. The 5.4 inch iPhone 12 mini and the 6.7 inch iPhone 12 Pro Max used the on-cell method. All of the next-generation iPhone 13 series use the on-cell method.
As Apple’s OLED iPhone shipments this year are expected to increase by 60-80% year-on-year, both Samsung Display and LG Display are expected to see a significant increase in panel supply. This is the sum of the shipments of the next-generation iPhone 13 series and the existing OLED iPhone models.
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