Samsung is both Apple’s fiercest smartphone rival and its only option for foldable displays. A new report reveals just how deep that dependency runs, with a three-year exclusivity deal that locks Apple into Samsung Display for every foldable OLED panel it needs. And the initial production numbers? Way lower than anyone expected.Samsung Display locks in three years of foldable iPhone exclusivity
According to the report, Samsung Display proposed the exclusive arrangement itself. The company apparently needed internal justification for handing its best foldable tech to a direct competitor of Samsung’s own phone division.
Apple accepted because it had no real alternative. China’s BOE still falls short on durability and yield, and LG Display has zero track record with foldable smartphone panels. For at least three years, Samsung is the only game in town.Initial production is way below expectations
Samsung Display’s Booth at SID 2025. | Image by Samsung
Samsung Display will begin mass production this quarter, but initial shipments are expected at around 3 million units. That’s a huge drop from earlier estimates of roughly 10 million that was previously reported.An industry source said the lower volume reflects a strategy to gauge market response before scaling up. Apple’s caution is hard to ignore, especially after the Vision Pro‘s brutal sales performance and consumer pushback on that $3,499 price tag.
Proven tech over bleeding-edge experimentation
The foldable panels heading to Apple will use CoE (Color filter on Encapsulation) technology, which removes the polarizer layer to prevent cracking at the fold point. That has become standard for modern foldable screens.
The OLED material will be the same M14 set used in the iPhone 17 Pro Max rather than something new. So, it looks like Apple is prioritizing stability and cost efficiency, which makes sense for a first-generation product in a category where Samsung has had years of head start.
Is Apple playing it too safe?
The irony here is thick. Samsung, the company trying to outsell Apple in phones every quarter, is also building the screen that could make the foldable iPhone a hit. Samsung Display knows its leverage, which is why it pushed for a three-year lock-in.
However, I keep coming back to those 3 million units. Cutting initial volume by roughly 70% is not a subtle move. Is this smart caution from a company that learned from the Vision Pro, or is Apple hedging on a product it’s not fully confident in?
There’s a real difference between “testing the waters” and “not trusting your own product.” We’ll find out when the foldable iPhone (or iPhone Ultra) arrives later this year.
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