Samsung has locked Apple into a three-year exclusive contract to supply the complex interior displays for the new iPhone Duo foldable phone at a cost of $250 each, according to a Chinese leaker with a solid track record.
The arrangement covers the current iPhone Duo and future models during the period, Instant Digital reported on Weibo. Apple had little choice but to accept Samsung’s terms because no other supplier can currently produce the required folding screens to the company’s standards.
LG Display does not yet manufacture foldable panels suitable for Apple, while Chinese rival BOE’s screens are considered inadequate and have previously suffered reliability issues, earlier reports indicated.
The $250 price tag marks a sharp increase from the roughly $70 Apple previously paid Samsung and LG for standard iPhone displays. The higher cost reflects the far greater complexity of the foldable interior screen, which accounts for about one-eighth of the iPhone Duo’s retail price.
The figure applies only to the panel itself and excludes assembly or testing costs. The leaker did not address the exterior display.
Instant Digital has previously provided accurate details on Apple products, and the company’s executives have publicly acknowledged the challenge of keeping such projects secret from leakers.
