Samsung Display to lead exclusive [AM]OLED supply for foldable iPhone in 2026
Jessica Tsai, Taipei; Charlene Chen, DIGITIMES Asia
Tuesday 7 October 2025
Apple is set to launch a 7.6-inch folding iPhone in 2026, with Samsung Display (SDC) expected to be the exclusive supplier of its---pixel/bit intense AM---OLED panels*, capturing about 40% of Samsung's total foldable panel shipments.
According to The Elec, citing market research firm Counterpoint, Apple will develop the folding iPhone using an in-fold screen design. SDC is expanding its A4 production line to support this, aiming to secure a monthly capacity of 30,000 panels by the second quarter of 2026. Currently, SDC's A4 line produces panels for Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S series flagship phones and foldables, as well as Apple's iPhone and iPad devices.
Reports from TechRadar and Tom's Guide suggest that mass production of Apple's foldable OLED panels will begin in mid-2026, aligning with Apple's typical late-year iPhone release cycle. Samsung's dedicated 8.6-generation OLED production line is expected to go live around the same time, giving it the production scale needed to fulfill Apple's initial order of an estimated 6-8 million foldable units.
The OLED panels for the folding iPhone will reportedly utilize low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) technology and adopt color-on-encapsulation (CoE) without polarizers.
With the folding iPhone's debut, global shipments of in-fold OLED displays are forecasted to surge 89% year-over-year in 2026, followed by a 48% increase in 2027. Apple's demand for these panels is expected to triple by 2027.
Counterpoint expects double-digit growth in the in-fold OLED panel market through 2029, during which SDC will maintain its leadership among foldable panel suppliers, closely trailed by China's BOE.
As Samsung plans to release a tri-fold phone in the second half of 2025, shipments of multi-fold OLED panels—defined as screens that fold two or more times—are projected to grow 28% in 2025. However, vertical fold OLED panel shipments are expected to decline 23% over the same period.
According to 9to5Mac, analysts note that while SDC may initially serve as the sole supplier, Apple could later introduce LG Display or BOE as secondary partners to diversify its supply chain.
Article edited by Jack Wu
*Copilot
Yes—Samsung Display is expected to supply foldable AMOLED panels for the 7.6-inch folding iPhone launching in 2026. While the term "OLED" is often used generically, the actual technology Apple will use is AMOLED.
OLED vs. AMOLED: What Apple’s Using
- OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) is the umbrella term.
- AMOLED (Active Matrix OLED) is the specific implementation used in smartphones and foldables.
- Samsung’s foldable panels are AMOLED by design, offering:
- Faster pixel response
- Integrated thin-film transistors (TFTs) for active control
- Better power efficiency and refresh rates
Apple’s 2026 Foldable iPhone Details
- Display size: ~7.6 to 7.8 inches (inward-folding)
- Supplier: Samsung Display (exclusive)
- Panel type: Foldable AMOLED
- Production line: Samsung’s 8.6-generation OLED fab, optimized for large substrates
- Launch window: Expected alongside iPhone 18 in September 2026
If you're tracking Apple’s panel stack evolution or wondering whether this AMOLED will use LTPO or hybrid substrates, I can dig into that next.
Copilot on LTPO Backplane:
Yes, you're correct—Cymer's TCZ laser technology plays a key role in fabricating LTPO backplanes, particularly in the laser crystallization step for the LTPS layer.
How Cymer TCZ Lasers Enable LTPO Backplanes
LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) combines LTPS (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon) and oxide TFTs, requiring precise lithography and crystallization steps. Here's where Cymer comes in:
- Cymer TCZ lasers (developed under ASML) are deep ultraviolet (DUV) line-scan lasers used to melt amorphous silicon into polycrystalline silicon without damaging the underlying glass substrate.
- This process is essential for creating the LTPS layer, which provides high mobility for driving AMOLED pixels.
- TCZ lasers generate localized heat (~1500°C) using XeF DUV sources, enabling uniform grain formation and tight overlay control—critical for high-resolution AMOLED panels.
Integration in LTPO Production
- Samsung Display, LG Display, and BOE use ASML’s DUV lithography systems (powered by Cymer lasers) to fabricate LTPO backplanes on Gen 6–Gen 8 glass substrates.
- These tools handle:
- LTPS patterning: High-resolution gate/source lines
- Oxide TFT patterning: Low leakage and refresh logic
- Alignment and overlay: For variable refresh rate control
So while Cymer doesn’t make LTPO panels directly, their TCZ laser systems are foundational to the backplane process—especially for AMOLED displays with LTPO stacks. If you're mapping out the fab floor for Apple’s foldable or benchmarking ASML vs. Canon litho throughput, I can help break that down too. |
