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In this year, Apple will launch three new iPhone models is no longer what secret, including iPhone XS and iPhone XS Plus will be equipped with AMOLED screen, iPhone 9 will continue to use the LCD screen. Although the use of AMOLED screen models increased to two, but apple for purchases of AMOLED panel has fallen sharply. It is reported that the AMOLED panel purchases of two models of the sum of only 50 million or so, such purchases is equivalent to the original iPhone X half.

Why Apple reduce AMOLED panel purchases?

Apple released last year to commemorate the 10th anniversary models iPhone X first used the AMOLED full screen, this is also the history of the most expensive price of iPhone mobile phone, but the price of nearly a million iPhone X profit is not as good as iPhone 7 models. As everyone knows, the use of iPhone X AMOLED by Samsung Display screen Samsung 150~160 to supply, each priced to sell $apple, currently only Samsung AMOLED screen can reach the apple, so apple can only helplessly depress their profits.

But lower profit iPhone X but did not bring satisfactory sales, due to its high price, many consumers balk. Last year, Apple plans to produce 100 million sets of iPhone X, Samsung Display adds a number of production lines, to expand production capacity only to meet the demand for apple, but because iPhone X sluggish sales, apple immediately reduced AMOLED purchases, it is reported that more than originally planned to reduce more than half, it also allows apple Samsung and Display both are injured.

Samsung Display has always been committed to the development of the AMOLED screen, in a few years ago, the small size of the IPS mobile phone screen just when the rise of Samsung, resolutely AMOLED technology research and development, for the first time since 2008, Samsung AMOLED will be applied to their own mobile phone screen, began to dominate the hand machine market entry into the AMOLED era, Samsung AMOLED has occupied the screen the entire mobile phone market share of more than 90%.

For this year's upcoming iPhone XS and iPhone XS Plus, apple apparently did not want to repeat the mistakes of X iPhone, for the procurement of the amount of AMOLED is quite conservative, control panel of the total purchase amount of two models in 50 million or so, but also in the apple and South Korea another large panel manufacturers LG Display actively negotiate supply the problem is no longer exclusive for Samsung panel. This year, Apple will be the main push models is to use the LCD screen of the iPhone 9 screen, procurement volume is expected to reach 150 million pieces.

Apple Micro LED is forced to develop?

Apple for the iPhone mobile phone screen supplier has not only choose one, Japan JDI, Korea LG, BOE, Display, Samsung Display etc for the supply of LCD screen. Last year the launch of the iPhone X is an exception, because Samsung AMOLED for technical monopoly, so apple can only choose samsung.

In order to break this situation, apple began to actively layout Micro LED technology, to further research and development after the acquisition of LuxVue. Apple is eager to Micro LED application on the product, is to form a competitive relationship with AMOLED, Samsung is no longer bound. But the research for Micro LED technology, apple did not imagine smoothly, before rumors of a new generation of Apple Watch 3 will be the first application of Micro LED technology, but the fact that it still use the OLED Retina screen, which makes Apple's current situation is very embarrassing.

The principle of Micro LED technology is the LED backlight film, micro array and LED, can make the unit less than 100 microns, and the OLED can realize each pixel individually customized separate drive light emitting (luminous). Micro LED technical advantage lies in the advantages of low power consumption, high brightness, high color saturation, fast response, long service life, according to the power Micro LED is only about 10% of LCD.

At present, Micro LED technology also faces three major problems, namely, full color, the production yield and emission wavelength consistency problem. Monochrome Micro LED array by flip package structure and drive IC fitting can be achieved, but the RGB array requires time posted red, green and blue grain, requires hundreds of thousands of pieces of LED grains, for consistency with LED wavelength and light effect, grain yield higher requirements.

Apple is very good at using technology to promote display of their products, once used to promote the iPhone Retina screen like Micro LED, but the technology is not mature enough there, although there have been many TV manufacturers have begun to display TV products equipped with Micro LED technology, but did not really enter the consumption level, to achieve mass production still needs time. The application in the field of the mobile phone models are not even show, so in the short term, Apple will continue to rely on the AMOLED technology.

Apple hopes to see the rise of China panel factory

There is no doubt that OLED is the most self luminous technology is mature and reliable, whether in the field of big screen TV, or in the small screen mobile phone field, OLED technology has begun to gradually bring for the high-end market. But the core technology of this technology lies in all the South Korean panel factory hands (large screen OLED led by LG Display AMOLED Samsung Display led by the small screen), and whether the downstream manufacturers can be applied to the OLED panel, depends entirely on the two panel factory capacity.

China liquid crystal panel as the largest producer, in the field of OLED is also actively pursuing Korean manufacturers pace, not only investing in OLED panel industry, and governments of the panel industry has given strong support, a large number of preferential policies in land tax, etc.. BOE, Huaxing Power, Tianma, etc. Chinese panel factory manufacturing weixinnuo strongly in the layout of the OLED panel production, the BOE Chengdu six generation line of flexible AMOLED has achieved mass production.

Chinese panel factory so good OLED industry, this is also very willing to see apple. Because iPhone is not possible in the short term application of Micro LED technology, so the future high-end iPhone models will continue to use the AMOLED screen. When there are more and more Chinese panel factory is capable of mass production of AMOLED panels, apple supplier selection will become more abundant, is expected to further reduce the cost of procurement.

But at present Chinese production AMOLED screen is clearly not up to the requirements of apple, Samsung in AMOLED technology to develop more than 10 years, the light in the yield improvement took at least 4~5 years, and experienced a series of optimization tuning Samsung S mobile phone after generations to reach this level. China panel factory in the production of active investment at the same time, should also further strengthen cooperation with South Korean companies, for as soon as possible the production of high specification AMOLED panel, get rid of the situation of the world factory of Korea together.

Source: Zhongguancun Online

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