apple lcd display factory

The struggling Apple partner was first said to be considering a sale of the plant in 2019 in an effort to pay back its debts to Apple, which funded the construction of the facility with a $1.5 billion "prepayment" to the display maker.

Now, Nikkei reports that Japan Display plans to finalize the deal to sell the factory and the land it occupies to Sharp, a subsidiary of Apple supplier Foxconn. The sale is estimated to be worth about 40 billion yen (about $375 million).

The Hakusan plant, located in the Ishikawa Prefecture of Japan, is equipped to produce LCD smartphone displays. It has been left idle since July 2019, a casualty of Japan Display"s reported lack of preparation for the iPhone"s shift to OLED.

In March, Japan Display was said to have sold about $200 million worth of LCD manufacturing equipment from the facility to a customer believed to be Apple. Nikkei"s report on Thursday suggests that Japan Display has sold a total of $281 million worth of equipment to that customer.

Sharp, for its part, plans to use the facility to consolidate its production of LCD panels for Apple iPhone while renting the manufacturing equipment from Apple. A Sharp facility in Kameyama, Japan, will reportedly shift to producing panels for customers in areas such as automotive or medical equipment. The facility can produce up to 7 million display panels per month.

Japan Display originally planned to sell the plant, that Apple assisted build by pre-funding it for 170 billion yen, by the end of March, but the global coronavirus pandemic snarled negotiations.

In total, the sale of the factory to Sharp and equipment to the unnamed customer could net Japan Display about 70 billion yen. As of March 2020, Japan Display was said to still owe about $800 million to Apple.

For most customers, visiting a professional repair provider with certified technicians who use genuine Apple parts is the safest and most reliable way to get a repair. These providers include Apple and Apple Authorized Service Providers, and Independent Repair Providers, who have access to genuine Apple parts.* Repairs performed by untrained individuals using nongenuine parts might affect the safety of the device or functionality of the display. Apple displays are designed to fit precisely within the device. Additionally, repairs that don"t properly replace screws or cowlings might leave behind loose parts that could damage the battery, cause overheating, or result in injury.

Depending on your location, you can get your iPhone display replaced—in or out of warranty—by visiting an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider, or by shipping your iPhone to an Apple Repair Center. Genuine Apple parts are also available for out-of-warranty repairs from Independent Repair Providers or through Self Service Repair.*

The iPhone display is engineered together with iOS software for optimal performance and quality. A nongenuine display might cause compatibility or performance issues. For example, an issue might arise after an iOS software update that contains display updates.

* Independent Repair Providers have access to genuine Apple parts, tools, training, service guides, diagnostics, and resources. Repairs by Independent Repair Providers are not covered by Apple"s warranty or AppleCare plans, but might be covered by the provider"s own repair warranty. Self Service Repair provides access to genuine Apple parts, tools, and repair manuals so that customers experienced with the complexities of repairing electronic devices can perform their own out-of-warranty repair. Self Service Repair is currently available in certain countries or regions for specific iPhone models introduced in 2021 or later. To view repair manuals and order parts for eligible models, go to the Self Service Repair page.

While Samsung will continue to supply approximately 80 per cent of iPhone displays, rumours claim that a little-known company called BOE looks set to become Apple’s second-largest OLED supplier. Not only is this a sign that Apple’s lowest-cost iPhone 12 model will likely make the leap from LCD to OLED this year, but it’s also a sign that Apple is looking to diversify which manufacturers it uses, and potentially looking to ready itself for a move into the display market itself.

You, like many of us when we first read the rumours, are probably wondering who the hell BOE is, and how it managed to score such a big deal despite its relatively unknown status. However, BOE is, in fact, the largest display manufacturer in China, supplying screens for smartphones, TVs and other electronic devices and home appliances.

The company, which was founded in Bejing in 1993 and acquired SK Hynix"s STN-LCD and OLED businesses back in 2001, is ranked second in the world when it comes to flexible OLED shipments, holding a market share of 11 per cent during the first quarter of this year. It, naturally, is still a long way behind market leader Samsung, which owned 81 per cent market share of the OLED market in the same quarter. Still, with a sizable chunk of the OLED market already under its belt, it perhaps won’t come as too much of a surprise – now, at least – that the firm already has some big-name allies.

BOE’s display technology is currently being utilised in Huawei"s most popular smartphone models, including the high-end P and Mate series, and it reportedly will manufacturer the palm-stretching screen set to appear on this year’s Huawei Mate 40.

BOE even provided the flexible OLED used in the foldable Huawei Mate X, which has proven way more reliable than Samsung’s flexible OLED efforts. Perhaps, then, it’s somewhat unsurprising that Samsung is reportedly considering using BOE screens for its future devices, likely at the expense of its own industry-dominating Samsung Display unit.

BOE’s surprising alliance with Apple isn’t the only time the two companies have worked together, either; the Chinese manufacturer already makes LCD screens for Apple"s older iPhones, and its tiny OLED panels are currently used in some Apple Watch models. It’s unclear how much BOE and Apple’s latest deal is worth, but it’s likely in the billions. According to online reports, Samsung’s deal with the iPhone maker is thought to be worth around $20 billion annually, so if BOE manages to secure 20 per cent of Apple’s display orders going forward, such a deal could be worth as much as $4bn.

Although BOE has managed to muscle its way into Apple’s exclusive list of OLED suppliers, and has invested heavily in facilities and equipment in order to meet the firm’s demands, the new partnership hasn’t got off to a flying start. According to reports, the company’s flexible OLED panels have not yet passed Apple’s final validation. This means, according to rumours, that BOE’s screens might not show up in the first batch of iPhone 12 models, and will instead start shipping on handsets at the beginning of 2021, with Apple instead set to re-increase its reliance on LG in the short term.

Scenarios like this, along with the fact that Apple is clearly looking to lessen its reliance on big-name display makers, makes us think that it won’t be long until the company ultimately stops relying on others altogether; after all, it’s no secret that Apple wants to control every aspect of its hardware development.

The display market could be Apple’s next target. Not only does the company already manufacturer screen technology in the form of its Pro Display XDR, but a recent Bloomberg report claims that Apple is “designing and producing its own device displays” and is making a “significant investment” in MicroLED panels. This technology utilises newer light-emitting compounds that make them brighter, thinner and less power-intense than the current OLED displays.

Apple’s efforts in MicroLED are reportedly in the “advanced stages”; the company has applied for more than 30 patents, and recent rumours suggest the firm is also considering investing over $330 million in a secretive MicroLED factory with the goal of bringing the technology to its future devices.

Nowadays, LCD panels for smartphone displays are taking the back seat while tech companies move towards OLED screens, including Apple. Samsung Display, one of Apple’s suppliers for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch displays, announced today that it is going to end LCD production in its China-based and South Korean factories by the end of 2020.

Reuters now reports that Samsung is moving on with its factories, but will still supply LCD display orders until the end of the year. The company has two LCD production lines in South Korea and two LCD-dedicated factories in China.

The production of LCD displays by Samsung has already been in decline since last year, as demand for LCD screens is continuously decreasing. In October, Samsung closed one of its LCD production lines in South Korea. Additionally, the company stated that it will invest around $10.72 billion in research and improvements for their production lines of quantum dot screens.

TOKYO -- Struggling Apple supplier Japan Display plans to sell a smartphone screen factory and the land it sits on to Sharp for 41.2 billion yen ($386 million), the company has announced.

A deal for the Hakusan liquid crystal display plant in Ishikawa Prefecture, along with sale of equipment there to a customer believed to be Apple, will earn Japan Display $668 million while cutting excess capacity that has weighed on earnings.

Foxconn, one of the electronics manufacturers that makes Apple"s iPhones, revealed plans today to build a factory in Wisconsin to produce flat-screen displays. Foxconn"s total investment in the Wisconsin factory amounts to $10 billion, more than the original $7 billion that Foxconn had been talking about investing in US manufacturing since Donald Trump took office as President. The factory will create at least 3,000 jobs and upwards of 13,000 jobs, as well as up to 22,000 induced jobs in other parts of Wisconsin. President Trump praised the deal at the press event, claiming it was a win for anyone who "believes in the label "Made in the USA.""

Foxconn will build flat-screen LCD display panels at the new factory under the Sharp brand, which the company bought in 2016 for $1.5 billion. At the press event, Gou and Governor Walker emphasized LCD display manufacturing for the automotive, healthcare, and other industries, rather than OLED display manufacturing.

Currently iPhones still use LCD displays, which means the Wisconsin factory could potentially provide LCD panels for those handsets. However, Sharp President Tai Jeng-wu has suggested in the past that Apple could use OLED displays in the future. There have also been rumors of OLED displays being used in forthcoming iPhone 8 models, but nothing has been confirmed. Currently there"s no official word that any panels made in the new Wisconsin factory will be used in Apple products going forward.

Don"t expect Apple to fully produce iPhones in the US anytime soon either. President Trump announced this week that Apple plans to build three "big" manufacturing plants in the US, but Apple did not announce that with him, nor did the company comment publicly on that notion. There are a number of incentives keeping iPhone production in China, including tax breaks and subsidies. Even if the incentives provided to Foxconn in Wisconsin are a step in a new direction, much more negotiation and work would need to be done before iPhones or any Apple products are completely "made in the USA."

Chinese display manufacturer Beijing Oriental Electronics (BOE) could lose out on 30 million display orders for the upcoming iPhone 14 after it reportedly altered the design of the iPhone 13’s display to increase yield rate, or the production of non-defective products, according to a report from The Elec (via 9to5Mac).

Apple tasked BOE with making iPhone 13 displays last October, a short-lived deal that ended earlier this month when Apple reportedly caught BOE changing the circuit width of the iPhone 13’s display’s thin-film transistors without Apple’s knowledge. (Did they really think Apple wouldn’t notice?).

This decision could continue to haunt BOE, however, as Apple may take the company off the job of making the OLED display for the iPhone 14 as well. According to The Elec, BOE sent an executive to Apple’s Cupertino headquarters to explain the incident and says it didn’t receive an order to make iPhone 14 displays. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 14 at an event this fall, but The Elec says production for its display could start as soon as next month.

In place of BOE, The Elec expects Apple to split the 30 million display order between LG Display and Samsung Display, its two primary display providers. Samsung will likely produce the 6.1 and 6.7-inch displays for the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro, while LG is set to make the 6.7-inch display for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

According to MacRumors, BOE previously only manufactured screens for refurbished iPhones. Apple later hired the company to supply OLED displays for the new iPhone 12 in 2020, but its first batch of panels failed to pass Apple’s rigorous quality control tests. Since the beginning of this year, BOE’s output has also been affected by a display driver chip shortage.

Chinese display manufacturer Beijing Oriental Electronics (BOE) could lose out on 30 million display orders for the upcoming iPhone 14 after it reportedly altered the design of the iPhone 13’s display to increase yield rate, or the production of non-defective products, according to a report from The Elec (via 9to5Mac).

Apple tasked BOE with making iPhone 13 displays last October, a short-lived deal that ended earlier this month when Apple reportedly caught BOE changing the circuit width of the iPhone 13’s display’s thin-film transistors without Apple’s knowledge. (Did they really think Apple wouldn’t notice?).

This decision could continue to haunt BOE, however, as Apple may take the company off the job of making the OLED display for the iPhone 14 as well. According to The Elec, BOE sent an executive to Apple’s Cupertino headquarters to explain the incident and says it didn’t receive an order to make iPhone 14 displays. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 14 at an event this fall, but The Elec says production for its display could start as soon as next month.

In place of BOE, The Elec expects Apple to split the 30 million display order between LG Display and Samsung Display, its two primary display providers. Samsung will likely produce the 6.1 and 6.7-inch displays for the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro, while LG is set to make the 6.7-inch display for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

According to MacRumors, BOE previously only manufactured screens for refurbished iPhones. Apple later hired the company to supply OLED displays for the new iPhone 12 in 2020, but its first batch of panels failed to pass Apple’s rigorous quality control tests. Since the beginning of this year, BOE’s output has also been affected by a display driver chip shortage.

Apple supplier Japan Display said Friday it would spend $1.4 billion on a new smartphone and tablet screen factory, in a move that may be a response to growing demand from the US iPhone maker.

The plant, which is expected to produce 25,000 sheets of liquid crystal displays (LCD) a month, will be constructed in the central Japanese city of Hakusan at a cost of 170 billion yen ($1.4 billion), the company said.

The plant, which would boost Japan Display"s screen production by about 20 percent, is expected to start operating next year "to satisfy growing demand for ever-advancing displays", it said in a statement.

The announcement by one of the world"s biggest smartphone and tablet screen makers came two weeks after a media report said it was mulling construction of a plant dedicated to supplying smartphone screens to Apple.

On Friday, a spokesperson for Japan Display was not immediately available to comment and the firm"s statement said only that the new building would be financed by "cash flow and other receipts".

Japan Display has warned that it expects a net loss of 12 billion yen in the fiscal year to March, reversing with an earlier forecast of a 26.8 billion net profit.

Apple"s investment in a manufacturing facility to build Retina Displays is a wise move. Rival HTC struggled earlier this year with display panel shortages that affected sales of its flagship Android handset models. Both the Verizon Wireless HTC Incredible and the Sprint EVO 4G were out of stock for over a month due to LCD shortages. The manufacturer reportedly slowed production on the Nexus One and the HTC Desire as AMOLED shortages forced them to shift to a Super LCD display. By investing in a dedicated manufacturing facility, Apple would be able to secure an ample supply of display panels for its popular mobile devices. If shortages hit the overall LCD market, the effect on Apple will be minimal.

Hopefully, this rumor pans out as it would put Apple in a good position to meet the ever increasing demand for the iPhone. While Apple has not commented, Toshiba has denied the report, claiming it is has not made a commitment to produce LCD panels for Apple.

The problems faced by tertiary Apple display supplier BOE appear to have gone from bad to worse, according to a new report. The company is now in danger of losing all orders for the iPhone 14.

Too many of the company’s displays were failing to pass quality control checks, and BOE reportedly tried to solve this by quietly changing the specs – without telling Apple …

Chinese display manufacturer BOE was only ever third-placed in Apple’s supply chain, behind Samsung and LG, but was still hoping to make as many as 40M OLED screens this year for a range of iPhone models.

BOE hit two problems, however, which put this number in doubt. First, it was struggling to buy enough display driver chips. As we noted previously, these are one of the worst-hit components in the global chip shortage.

The biggest issue is not with CPUs and GPUs, but far more mundane chips like display drivers and power management systems. These relatively low-tech chips are used in a huge number of devices, including Apple ones.

Yield rates are always a challenge for Apple suppliers, as the company’s specs are often tighter than those set by other smartphone makers. Even Samsung Display, which has the most-advanced OLED manufacturing capabilities, has at times had yield rates as low as 60% for iPhone displays.

The Chinese display panel sent a C-level executive and employees to Apple’s headquarters following the incident to explain why they changed the circuit width of the transistors.

They also asked the iPhone maker to approve the production of OLED panels for iPhone 14, but didn’t receive a clear response from Apple, they also said.

Cupertino seems poised to give the order for around 30 million OLED panels it intended to give BOE before the incident to Samsung Display and LG Display instead.