Samsung seems to have secured a landmark decision against Chinese display maker BOE. In October 2023, Samsung filed a lawsuit against BOE with the US International Trade Commission, accusing BOE of stealing and misappropriating trade secrets. ITC reportedly granted a preliminary decision in July against BOE, with the finalization of the decision set for November 2025.
South Korean outlet Chosun now claims that the ITC is set to ban BOE displays from being imported into and sold in the US for a period of 14 years and 8 months, if the decision is finalized in November. This potential ban of over 14 years has been dubbed “unprecedentedly severe,” which will result in “an immediate and complete blockade of imports” of all BOE displays in the US. ITC’s alleged upcoming ruling against BOE also includes the Chinese display maker’s US subsidiaries.
According to Chosun, ITC’s decision to bar BOE for 14 years and 8 months from the US is related to the total time Samsung Display spent on developing “core OLED technologies”. Moreover, once ITC’s decision is finalized and enters the review period, companies that want to import BOE panels will reportedly have to pay a 100% bond. This will severely hamper BOE’s operations in the US.
Apple iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air reportedly use BOE panels
Citing Meritz Securities Korea, Jukan on X reports that BOE is the supplier of OLED displays for the iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Air. In the wake of the possible import restrictions, Apple might only sell iPhone 17 models with BOE models in non-US regions like China. This will be a pretty big blow to Apple’s supply chains in the long run, as BOE supplies a considerable quantity of OLED displays for models like the iPhone 16e.
Moreover, the ban on BOE display could also affect Google’s Pixel devices. The Google Pixel 8/8 Pro and Pixel 9/9 Pro all utilize a mix of Samsung and BOE OLED panels. While we don’t know who the primary suppliers of OLED panels are for the upcoming Pixel 10 phones, it is likely that BOE is among the main contributors. So, the Pixel 10 phones could see some supply chain disruptions.
All in all, BOE suffering a US ban is a pretty big development for Samsung and LG, who are set to gain much from ITC’s ruling. However, for Chinese makers like Vivo, Oppo, and Huawei with little to no presence in the US, BOE will continue to be the key OLED manufacturer.
Fawad Murtaza – Senior Tech Writer – 1315 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2021
I am Fawad, a fellow tech nerd. As a tech junkie, my relationship with technology goes back to my childhood years. Getting my first Intel Pentium 4 PC was the start of journey that would eventually bring me to Notebookcheck. Finally, I have been writing for tech media since 2018. From small no-name projects to industry leaders, I have worked with a number of tech publications.