Apple iPhone SE (2020)Source: Apple

What you need to know

  • Apple supplier LG has halted production of LCD displays for iPhone, and will no longer make the displays for the company.
  • According to the report, OLED iPhones will outsell LCD models in 2021.

LG has halted production of LCD panels for Apple, choosing instead to focus on display panels for cars.

According to TheElec:

LG Display has halted production of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels for iPhones, TheElec has learned.

The factory that previously made the panels will be converted to making automobile display panels.

LG Display halted iPhone LCD production at its AP3 line at Gumi in the third quarter. The line also stopped making panels for other phones as well in the fourth quarter.

For LG Display, the LCD line for iPhones has been low in profitability. Apple also used organic light emitting diode (OLED) panels instead for its iPhone 12 series.

The report says beyond low profitability, OLED iPhone sales are expected to outstrip the sales of LCD models this year. The report says that Apple's LCD displays for iPhone SE will be made by JDI and Sharp going forward.

As the report notes, LG will make automobile LCD displays instead.

Apple has reportedly enjoyed a bumper start to its iPhone 12's lifecycle and plans to boost production of the device by 30% this year. From that report:

A new report says that a surge in demand for Apple's iPhone 12 will push the company to make 96 million iPhones in the first half of 2021, a 30% increase year-on-year.

From Nikkei Asian Review:

Apple plans to produce up to 96 million iPhones for the first half of 2021, a nearly 30% year-on-year increase, after demand for its first-ever 5G handsets surged amid the pandemic, Nikkei Asia learned.