Latest news with #SamsungDisplay
CNET
2 days ago
- CNET
The Folding iPhone Is Getting Real (and Might Use Samsung Parts)
This may be the final year without a folding iPhone. New reports this week suggest that Apple will launch the long-rumored folding iPhone in 2026. The latest buzz suggests that Apple is working with Samsung Display to help make the crease-free screen for the folding iPhone. It's no secret that Apple has been tinkering with bendable screen designs for years. The company has filed various patents about screens that fold, scroll and even self-heal from scratches. Last year, Bloomberg reported that Apple was exploring a folding iPad, and analysts have been predicting Apple would make a folding iPhone since 2021. But the rumors are looking more likely now as the buzz picks up, this time from a Korean news outlet and a forecast from an often-accurate Apple analyst, both pointing to Samsung Display as the company working with Apple to produce the screen tech for the folding iPhone. For this week's episode of One More Thing, which you can watch embedded above, I go through some of the latest rumors to paint a picture of what this fabled phone could look like -- and don't expect it to come cheap. It is predicted to cost between $2,000 and $2,500. Some of the work to make the folding iPhone may be coming from another new design: the rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 and its thin battery is the kind of tech that helps make a thin book-style folding iPhone a reality. If you're looking for more One More Thing, subscribe to our YouTube page to catch Bridget Carey breaking down the latest Apple news and issues every Friday.
GSM Arena
2 days ago
- Business
- GSM Arena
Kuo: Galaxy Z Fold8 to introduce crease-free display before Apple
Samsung Display has been rumored to bring a crease-free folding screen for Apple's foldable iPhone but a new report from Ming Chi-Kuo suggests the new gen panel will actually make its debut on next year's Galaxy Z Fold8. Galaxy Z Fold7 One of Samsung Display's key suppliers, Fine M-Tec, announced that it would invest a reported KRW 17.5 billion ($12.6 million) to support growing demand for its new generation of laser-processed hinges. The company has developed an internal hinge utilizing laser-drilled metal plates, which will help guide stress distribution and offer enhanced crease resistance. Fine M-Tec is expected to supply over 80% of the internal hinges for Apple's folding iPhone display and Kuo is also confident it will be the exclusive supplier for the Z Fold8. The new report also suggests that Apple's entry in the foldable phone market and its strict requirements for crease-free folding display will accelerate the adoption of laser-drilled display metal plates by competitors. Source
Phone Arena
4 days ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
Certain Chinese made iPhones face a ban in the United States
A ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC) could prevent some iPhone units built in China from getting shipped into the U.S. The ITC is a U.S. Federal agency that rules on unfair trade practices. One of its powers is the ability to issue exclusion orders that ban products found to infringe on intellectual property rights. In 2023, two companies that you're probably familiar with, Samsung Display and Chinese display manufacturer BOE, were having a serious disagreement over alleged technology theft. Both companies sued each other, and Samsung Display also filed a complaint with the ITC, which just announced a preliminary ruling. The ITC ruled in Samsung Display's favor, stating that the Samsung Electronics subsidiary "has proven by a preponderance of evidence" that BOE engaged in "misappropriation of trade secrets" to make its OLED panels. Yes, this is a preliminary ruling, and the final judgment will probably not be made until November. At that point, it will be up to U.S. President Donald Trump to decide whether the BOE products found to be infringing on Samsung Display's patents should be banned from the U.S. If the ban is approved, iPhone units with OLED displays made by BOE would not be allowed to enter the United States. As it turns out, U.S. consumers might not be affected at all. Apple recently approved BOE as a supplier of OLED displays for the iPhone 17 Pro. But that approval covers the Chinese market only. Still, BOE reportedly produces displays for U.S. versions of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and the iPhone 16e. But Apple might not be impacted after all. That's because the ITC hasn't specified whether the ban covers just OLED displays or includes smartphones sporting BOE's OLED panels. Even if Apple itself is not included in any exclusion order, Samsung could sue companies using the impacted BOE displays and Apple could be one of the companies involved in such legal action. One industry insider said that Apple could end up booting BOE from its supply chain. This would be a shame, as the company had to work hard to regain Apple's trust after it expanded the circuit width of the thin-film transistors on its OLED panels for the iPhone 13 series. BOE did not get approval from Apple to make this change, and it was done to improve the display supplier's yield, which was too low. Increasing the circuit width would make it easier for BOE to improve the yield on its iPhone OLED panels. BOE is estimated to account for 20% of overall orders Apple has placed for iPhone displays. Apple could end up using BOE's OLED panels earmarked for the iPhone on units sold in China. If it is banned from the U.S. market, BOE could focus on the Chinese market and reduce its prices to take business away from Apple's Korean based display suppliers such as Samsung Display and LG Display. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Here's how we know the foldable iPhone won't have a creased screen
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. I was dying to see the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 in person now that they're official, to check whether they have a crease in the middle of their foldable displays. As a reminder, last year's Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 phones (above) still had significant creases. Recent leaks suggested the 2025 models wouldn't just be thinner than their predecessors, the Fold 7 and Flip 7 would also pack crease-free foldable panels. Now that I've seen the two devices, I can tell you they both have visible creases at the hinges. Like the thickness issue, the crease remains a design compromise that Samsung still needs to fix to offer better-looking Fold and Flip phones. Today's Top Deals XGIMI Prime Day deals feature the new MoGo 4 and up to 42% off smart projectors Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Ring Video Doorbell deals But if one leaker's new report is accurate, the key technology that prevents creasing already exists, and it's coming from Samsung Display. Ming-Chi Kuo said in a new post on Medium that Apple has chosen Samsung's solution for eliminating the crease from the iPhone Fold, and Apple will be paying a premium to use that hinge component in its foldable phones. How Apple wants to eliminate the iPhone Fold's crease Kuo, known for his predictions about unreleased Apple hardware, said that Apple picked Samsung Display's crease-free screen design over its own in-house concept. Apple chose Samsung's solution to support volume production of a foldable iPhone in the second half of 2026. Kuo explains that the display's metal plate is the key element that can prevent creasing in a foldable panel. Previous reports said Apple would spare no expense to eliminate the crease in the iPhone Fold. Achieving this would be a major selling point for the iPhone Fold. It would also align with Apple's approach of 'getting it right.' Apple could say it waited to deliver the perfect foldable iPhone design instead of rushing to match what competitors were doing. Kuo notes in his blog that the metal plate disperses and controls bending stress, helping reduce crease formation. 'Because the plate must be closely tailored to the display design, the specification of SDC's crease-free solution for Apple also includes the metal plate designed and manufactured by Fine M-Tec,' a translation of Kuo's post reads. Fine M-Tec will begin shipping display metal plates for the iPhone Fold in the first quarter of 2026. Each plate costs $30 to $35, with Apple planning to order 13 to 15 million units next year. A recent report from Korea said that Samsung would mass-produce the foldable display for the iPhone Fold, though it didn't detail the hinge and crease designs. Samsung will reportedly be the sole supplier for the iPhone Fold panels, which it will manufacture at a facility built specifically for Apple. Kuo also explained how the metal plate inside the iPhone Fold differs from those in Samsung's own foldables: The foldable iPhone's metal-plate specifications exceed those of existing competitors, so unit prices are higher, benefiting Fine M-Tec. [Samsung Display's] current metal-plate process is chemical etching; to meet Apple's stricter crease-free demands, laser drilling will be adopted to create micro-structures that guide stress and further improve crease control. Introducing laser drilling raises the plate price (USD 30–35 versus about USD 20 for etched plates), and the high technical barrier also supports Fine M-Tec's market share. The quote above might also explain why Samsung's Fold 7 and Flip 7 still have creases. Samsung relies on similar tech to reduce creasing but uses a cheaper process to drill the micro holes in the metal plate that manages bending stress. If Kuo's report is accurate, the crease-free display tech Samsung is developing for the iPhone Fold might also show up in future Fold and Flip models from Samsung. That's just speculation for now. How the metal plate works A Samsung Display patent awarded by the USPTO in early 2023 covers technology that helps prevent creasing in a foldable phone. The following image shows the metal plate (ST), which includes two parallel structures (OP) featuring multiple micro holes to aid bending. The close-up of the AA-marked section above follows below, showing the hole pattern in more detail. The metal plate sits between the sheet part (SH) and the hinge (HG). The sheet part rests beneath the display. When the phone bends, the micropunctures allow flexibility while reducing stress on the OLED panel. Once unfolded, the screen should show a minimal crease. That's not to say the iPhone Fold will feature a metal plate identical to the one in these drawings, or that Samsung's foldables use this exact design. Samsung holds similar patents in other jurisdictions with different designs for the punctured plates. Still, these patents show the underlying ideas behind the tech Kuo references, which Apple reportedly selected for the iPhone Fold. We'll have to wait for iPhone Fold teardowns, and maybe a few destructive tests, to get a look at the metal plate that's expected to eliminate creasing. Don't Miss: Today's deals: Nintendo Switch games, $5 smart plugs, $150 Vizio soundbar, $100 Beats Pill speaker, more More Top Deals Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98 See the
GSM Arena
4 days ago
- Business
- GSM Arena
ITC will ban iPhones with BOE displays from being sold in the US
Apple likely won't be able to sell iPhones with BOE displays in the US due to a preliminary ruling by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) that the Chinese display maker infringed on Samsung Display's trade secrets on OLED panels. The ITC ruling includes two orders – a limited exclusion order and a cease and desist order. The first prevents Apple from importing infringing iPhones into the US. The latter prohibits Apple from using existing inventory and further production or sales activities. This hasn't come into effect yet – the import ban is expected to kick in with the final ruling in November. ETNews, which has been following the suit, reports that preliminary rulings are rarely overturned. After November, there is a two-month period during which President Trump will be able to veto the final ruling. Apple sources components from multiple manufacturers, e.g. iPhone displays are made by Samsung, LG and BOE. BOE typically makes the non-ProMotion displays on vanilla phones – in fact, it supplied the majority of iPhone 16e displays. However, @Jukanlosreve recently reported that Apple has approved BOE display panels for iPhone 17 Pro phones that will be exclusively sold in China. Of course, ITC's ban has no influence on sales in China, but it may have affected how Apple distributes production quotas between its display suppliers. Also, the future iPhone Fold is safe, since it will use Samsung Display panels. Besides the ITC suit, Samsung Display filed a suit with the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas seeking compensation for lost operating profit plus punitive damages over BOE's infringement. Source (in Korean)
