LG will likely make OLED panels for new 'iPhone X Plus'
LG Display will likely help Apple create its upcoming phone, rumored to be called the "iPhone X Plus."
The Korean manufacturer is expected to supply Apple with OLED panels for the upcoming 6.5-inch iPhone model, reports Financial Times (via MacRumors).
The company currently manufactures LCD panels for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, but does not supply the OLED panels used in the iPhone X -- that honor currently belongs to Samsung.
Apple is expected to release both a 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch iPhone model in 2018. According to several reports, LG is expected supply over 15 million OLED panels for the 6.5-inch model, though it is currently negotiating with Apple for additional supply according to an Electronic Times report.
While that sounds like a lot of panels, the amount pales in comparison to that which Samsung provides, and will continue to provide. LG's chief rival, Samsung, already supplies most of the iPhone X's OLED displays, and is expected to manufacture OLED panels for the upcoming 5.8-inch model.
Still, Apple's move is a small victory for LG in its long-standing competition with Samsung over the display market. The two companies have sued each other multiple times over alleged stealing of OLED and LCD technology. They also wrestle over Google's Pixel 2 -- Samsung supplies the Pixel 2's AMOLED display, LG the Pixel 2 XL's P-OLED display.
But even though this is good news for LG, it may not be for Apple's consumers. The 6-inch Pixel 2 XL has had a whole slew of problems, including discoloration issues and image burn-in.
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Samsung's OLED displays in the Pixel 2 and original Pixel phones have not had such problems to the same extent.
It's unclear whether the Pixel 2 XL's display issues were LG's fault, but with an even larger display on its roster, we hope the company will address any issues and step up its game by the time the new iPhone X models ship this year.
Monica wrote for Mashable's Tech section with a focus on retail, internet of things, and the intersections of technology and social justice. She holds a degree in creative writing from Brown University, and has previously written for Dow Jones Media, the New York Post, Yahoo Finance, and others. In her free time, she can be found attempting to cook Asian food, buying board games, and looking for new hobbies.
