Apple's Chinese supplier BOE is struggling with iPhone OLED production again, causing millions of panel orders to be shifted to Samsung Display, reports The Elec.
Multiple industry sources told the publication that BOE still hasn't resolved manufacturing issues that emerged in November and December of last year. Problems in a specific production process have reportedly forced the company to halt production on some models entirely.
In the second half of 2025, BOE was supplying OLED panels for the iPhone 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17, as well as the more affordable iPhone 16e and its successor, the upcoming 17e. The quality issues are said to be affecting panels for the iPhone 15, 16, and 17 specifically.
This isn't the first time BOE has had a hard time meeting Apple's panel quality requirements, but what's strange in this case is that BOE had been reliably supplying LTPS OLED panels for the iPhone 15 and 16 for some time. The iPhone 17's LTPO panels are more technically demanding, but the older models shouldn't have posed the same challenges.
"BOE had been stably supplying OLED for the iPhone 15 and 16, so the industry finds this puzzling," one source told The Elec.
BOE is now focused on ensuring stable supply for the iPhone 17e, which is expected to launch in the spring. The company holds the largest panel allocation among suppliers for that model.
Meanwhile, Samsung Display has picked up millions of redirected orders over the past two months. BOE shipped around 40 million iPhone OLED panels in 2024, but that figure likely fell short last year due to the reported production setbacks.
The production issues come after a tumultuous year for BOE's relationship with Samsung Display. Samsung had accused BOE of stealing trade secrets and infringing AMOLED patents, leading to an International Trade Commission (ITC) investigation and preliminary import bans against BOE in the U.S.
The ITC initially found trade secret misappropriation and recommended nearly 15 years of import restrictions, but the companies settled in late 2025, and BOE reportedly paid royalties to Samsung to end the dispute.
