Samsung Display, the world's largest and most innovative OLED panel manufacturer, has secured a significant share of the screen supply for the latest affordable smartphone from Applu – iPhone 17e. And he will make a nice chunk of money from it.
According to a report by TheElec, this deal follows a similar strategy used for the previous iPhone 16e model. For that model, Samsung supplied 11 million OLED panels last year, accounting for 50% of the total volume. The rest of the market was shared by LG Display (7,5 million units) and BOE (3,5 million units). A similar supply structure is expected to be maintained for the iPhone 17e.
Apple has tried in the past to reduce its dependence on Samsung by increasing the stake of Chinese manufacturer BOE. However, due to quality issues that BOE could not satisfactorily resolve, Apple has once again increased its purchases from Samsung. And that is of course good for the South Korean company. Samsung Display is a separate division that makes no distinctions in who it produces panels for. It is concerned with profit, and if it helps it to achieve it Apple, even though the biggest competitor for Samsung phones, will not reject it.
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Lower-end display
The iPhone 17e, which was introduced last week and goes on sale just like the series Galaxy S26 on March 11, targeting the entry-level segment. The 6,1-inch display has a brightness of 1,200 nits, offers only a 60Hz refresh rate, and still has a notch instead of the Dynamic Island element. The phone is powered by a 3nm A19 chipset and has 8GB of RAM. It also features a 12MP front camera and a 48MP rear camera with optical image stabilization.
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With a price starting at $599 for the 256GB version, the iPhone 17e is a direct competitor to the likes of Samsung Galaxy A56 or Galaxy S25 FE. While Apple Offering higher performance, better main camera quality, and wireless magnetic charging, Samsung phones stand out with smoother displays, multiple camera lenses, larger batteries, and faster charging.
iPhone 16e
Why is this symbiosis inevitable?
When looking at the technology market through the lens of a long-term electronics tester, the relationship between Applem and Samsung are a fascinating example of pragmatism triumphing over marketing rivalry. Although these brands face each other as direct competitors in the mobile phone segment, they are dependent on each other in the component sector.
The failure of Chinese manufacturer BOE in attempts to increase its share of supplies for Apple confirms how rigorous the quality control process in Cupertino is. For consumers, this means one thing: even if you buy a “cheaper” iPhone, you are still getting cutting-edge display technology from the market leader. This collaboration is clear proof that in the tech world, the supply chain is much more important than the colorful logo on the back of the device.
