Report: Display Maker BOE Cleared for iPhone 14 Inclusion

07 JULY 2022 - One Apple supplier appears to be out of the penalty box. Back in May we heard word that Apple had sidelined iPhone display supplier BOE. That was prompted by BOE changing the design of its OLED panels without Apple knowing.

BOE’s place in Apple’s supply chain seemed as much about leverage as supply - if not more so. BOE was only expected to produce 30-million to 40-million displays for the iPhone 14 line. While any disruption in the supply chain is serious these days, reports indicated that BOE was likely to be back in the mix, as having BOE in the loop keeps pressure on iPhone’s primary display manufacturers Samsung and LG.

T’s dotted and I’s crossed, BOE seems to be back in Apple’s good graces. A piece from iMore says:

Apple has approved OLED panels from display maker BOE which will see the company make more than 5 million iPhone 14 panels ahead of the device's release in September.

Again, not a huge amount when we’re talking iPhone. TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said he’s expecting manufacturers to take delivery of components for as many as 100-million iPhones through year’s end. Still, BOE's return should be good for parts and leverage.