Chinese display maker Beijing Oriental Electronics (BOE) could lose 30 million display orders for the upcoming iPhone 14 after it reportedly changed the design of the iPhone 13 display to increase profitability or the production of defective products, according to a report by Elek (via 9to5Mac).
Apple commissioned BOE to make iPhone 13 displays last October, a short-lived deal that ended earlier this month when Apple reportedly caught BOE changing the bandwidth of thin-film transistors on the iPhone 13 display without Apple’s knowledge. (Did they really think Apple wouldn’t notice?)
However, this decision may continue to haunt BOE, as Apple may remove the company from the work of creating an OLED display for the iPhone 14. According to ElekBOE has sent an executive to Apple’s Cupertino headquarters to explain the incident and says it has not received an order to produce iPhone 14 displays. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 14 at an event this fall, but Elek says production for its display could begin as early as next month.
In place of BOE, Elek Apple expects to split the 30 million display order between LG Display and Samsung Display, its two main display suppliers. Samsung will probably produce 6.1 and 6.7-inch displays for the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro, while LG will make a 6.7-inch display for the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
According to MacRumors, BOE previously produced screens only for refurbished iPhones. Apple later hired the company to ship 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 production has also been affected by a shortage of display driver chips.