Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports.
In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million accompanying external displays. With Samsung Display serving as the exclusive supplier of these components, the production plan implies that Apple's own target output for the first-generation foldable iPhone is in the range of 10 million finished devices, since suppliers usually produce more components than Apple needs to account for yield and quality variations.
This production plan is more than 30% higher than initial industry expectations, which placed early foldable iPhone shipments between six million and eight million units. Those earlier estimates were based on the historical performance of the global foldable smartphone market, which has hovered just above 20 million units annually.
The report reiterated that the device is expected to feature a book-style, inward-folding design with a 5.35-inch external display and a 7.58-inch folding internal display. It is believed to contain an advanced hinge design and specialized material properties to minimize the crease in the folding display.
Apple reportedly plans to adopt Color Filter on Encapsulation (COE), a method that removes the traditional polarizer layer and integrates its functionality directly into the OLED stack. Eliminating the polarizer can reduce thickness and improve brightness. The device is also rumored to incorporate an Under Display Camera (UDC), allowing the internal display to achieve a more seamless full-screen appearance without a punch hole or visible camera cutout.
The first foldable iPhone is expected to launch next year alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Update: A PR agency representing Samsung Display told MacRumors that the claim it "plans to produce 11 million OLED units next year for Apple's foldable iPhone" does not reflect the facts.
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