According to the ZDNet Korea publication (cited by IT Home), Apple would have already found a partner for the development of OLED screens for the next iPhone SE model, which is expected only next year, sometime in the spring. This would be the first SE model to ditch the LCD screens, home button and Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and adopt a modern, straight-edged design similar to what we see on more recent variants. This partner does not seem to be Samsung, the company that supplies screens for the other variants, but BOE, the Chinese company accused by Samsung of infringing its intellectual rights.
The iPhone SE 4 will be Apple’s first budget model with an OLED screen
The reason why Samsung would have withdrawn from the negotiations would be the price per unit, and BOE would have been the only manufacturer that could cover Apple’s demand at the desired price. The article says that Apple would have made an offer of $25 per display, while Samsung wanted $30. A higher cost for components would mean the phone would be more expensive on the shelf, and Apple seems to have a clear target for where the iPhone SE needs to occupy in its offering.
Currently, the third-generation iPhone SE starts at $429 in the US for the base version with 64GB of internal storage. This is an aggressive price for an Apple smartphone, considering that the next model in the range is the iPhone 13, at $599, and the iPhone 15, the latest model, starts at $799.
The new iPhone SE will probably go up a bit in price, but it wouldn’t be able to go above $499, as there would be too little of a price difference between that base model and the next cheapest, which at that point would be iPhone 14 at 599.
Of course, choosing BOE also comes with a risk from Apple. The company previously tried to negotiate with BOE to supply screens for the iPhone 14 and 15 models, but each time the negotiations fell through due to quality issues, according to sources close to the two companies. Samsung and LG were able to win those contracts due to higher quality OLED panels and/or fewer defective units shipped.
Of course, the iPhone SE is not a very important phone for Apple. The best-selling phone in 2023 was the “standard” iPhone 14, followed by the 14 Pro Max and 14 Pro. Basically, Apple occupied the first 7 positions of the top 10 for 2023, and the iPhone SE was the only model in its current offer that did not qualify. This suggests that the iPhone SE is the weakest selling model, so it is likely that Apple will not order very many screens from BOE, and if it identifies defects, it will be able to replace them relatively quickly, since it is not a phone that necessarily “flies” on the shelves.
On the other hand, an iPhone SE with an OLED screen, Face ID, 6.1″ screen and a modern processor like the A17 or A18 could prove to be a real hit among those who can’t afford more expensive phones. 500 dollars.
