Japan Display will start to supply OLED screens for the Apple Watch later in 2019. The company had lost orders from Apple on account of its delayed move to OLED.
Taking on LG for Apple Watch Sales
LG currently supplies the displays for the Apple Watch, while Samsung exclusively supplies OLED panels for iPhones. However, it is understood that Japan Display will start to supply the panels for the Apple Watch later this year. The manufacturer has an OLED pilot line running in eastern Japan (via Reuters).
Apple makes up over 50% of its revenue. However, it trails the likes of Samsung and LG in producing OLED displays. Apple introduced the displays to the iPhone with the iPhone X.
Japan Display intends to build an OLED manufacturing plant in China. It is understood that launching a manufacturing line to produce the panels for smartphones costs around $1.8 billion. The company is looking for as much as $990 million in new investment.
Makes sense since JDI (Hitachi, Sony and Toshiba venture) is already the major supplier of iPhone screens……. OLEDs for now… but only before the bendy watch happens. ⏱