iPhone 14 Pro's reliance on Samsung displays cut as new supplier comes online

(Image credit: Luke Filipowicz / iMore)

According to a new report, Samsung is no longer the only company providing displays for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

While Samsung has been responsible for every display that went into Apple's pro models since their release in September, that is all now about to change, with LG Display reportedly picking up some of Samsung's business and reducing Apple's reliance on a single provider into the bargain.

Good business

Apple has been looking for ways to diversify its manufacturing lines in recent months, and while that has generally involved trying to move some manufacturing outside of China, it's also wise not to rely too heavily on one company wherever possible. This move to using two suppliers for the specialist screens that go into iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max handsets is a good example of that.

ETNews reports that Apple is now using LG Display for some of its LPTO OLED displays, the type that is used in its high-end models. The LPTO design allows for the variable refresh rate that begins at 1Hz and goes all the way to 120Hz to bring ProMotion support to the iPhone. The 1Hz refresh support is also what allows the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max to bring the Always-On Display to Apple's phones for the first time.

"This is the first time that LG Display supplied LTPO OLED to Apple for mass-produced mobile products," the report notes, adding that the technology also allows for significantly reduced power usage.

The report says that LG Display is expected to post boosted fourth-quarter earnings as a result of the new orders.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.