Overview
- Multiple outlets reported on Friday that Apple has asked Samsung Display and LG Display to accept roughly $70 per iPhone 18 Pro Max OLED panel and that final deals could land near $66.50, about a 20 percent drop from the prior generation.
- The requested cuts are striking because Apple plans to use Samsung’s newer M16 OLED material, which boosts brightness, color and lifespan but also raises manufacturing complexity and yield‑stabilization needs.
- Market research firm UBI Research forecasts very large panel volumes for the iPhone 18 family, with about 46 million panels from Samsung and 41 million from LG, giving Apple strong buying leverage.
- Executives at both display makers have publicly acknowledged pressure to lower prices and pointed to rising DRAM and NAND costs—so-called chipflation—as the reason Apple is seeking savings elsewhere.
- It is still unknown whether lower panel prices will offset memory-driven increases in the iPhone bill of materials or lead to lower retail prices, and final pricing for the iPhone 18 series will be confirmed at launch.