The crease is one of the most disliked aspects of the best foldable phones. No one likes looking at their phone's massive display and seeing a line down the middle. Apple knows this and is reportedly turning to Samsung to solve the crease problem.
According to a report from BusinessKorea, Samsung has solved the crease issue to Apple's satisfaction, leaving other suppliers, LG and BOE, in the dust.
Apple has decided to equip its first foldable iPhone, set for release in the latter half of next year, exclusively with OLED panels from Samsung Display.
BusinessKorea
With Samsung's success solving the crease problem, Apple has reportedly decided to go with the Korean firm exclusively when the iPhone Fold launches next year — the phone is rumored to have a 7.74-inch inner and a 5.49-inch outer display.
While Apple typically prefers to use multiple suppliers for parts, giving the phone maker more leverage for acquiring screens and other parts at a lower price, the company also aims for quality over lower cost. If Samsung can deliver better screens without a visible crease, then it makes sense for Apple to lock in production with it.
"This decision marks a pivotal moment in the industry as Samsung Display will be the sole supplier, excluding LG Display and Chinese BOE panels," reads the BusinessKorea report.
The report also says Samsung plans to begin full-scale supply by the end of this year or early next year, which would give it time to ramp up and get enough screens to Apple for the launch of Apple's first folding iPhone.
It'll be interesting to see how this changes things for Samsung's foldable phones. Will the technology it uses to make Apple's screen make the Galaxy Z Fold 7 creaseless? Only time will tell, but we're rapidly approaching an era of improved foldables, which could get more people into the space.
This news comes right after we heard that Apple is working on an under-display camera for the foldable iPhone. Between that and the lack of crease, it could be a very tablet-like experience with a display with almost no distractions.
