Sharp May Begin Shipping OLED Panels In Time for 2017 iPhone

Hon Hai Chairman Terry Gou has announced that Sharp will begin shipping OLED panels next year, reports Nikkei. It's believed that the company may supply the panels to Apple for the 2017 iPhone.

"We will be ready before 2018 and ship (OLED panels) to customers," Gou told reporters after the annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday.


Gou did not confirm that Apple is a customer for the new panels but given the company's history as an iPhone assembler and supplier it's probable. Supplying OLED displays to Apple may have been motivation behind Gou's acquisition of a 66% stake in Sharp earlier this year for $3.5 billion.

It's been rumored that Apple is planning a massive upgrade to the iPhone in 2017 with an edge-to-edge display that has no bezels on the top and bottom. Additionally, the front camera, Touch ID, speaker, and other sensors will apparently be embedded into the display.

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