The screens OLED and next iPhone is one of those rumors that no doubt end up becoming reality, with the very high probability in the model that will be born next year. Putting us in that situation, and paying attention to what is said in the industry, it seems that producing the amount of panels that Apple needs is going to be something quite complicated.
Apple normally pulls different manufacturers to which it asks for as much quality as quantity, much quantity. Be the supplier of major components of an iPhone does not have to be compared to another phone, none sold at exorbitant amounts that makes the Apple product. That is why we have to tie the production of every little thing that is necessary, and here the Cupertino have always been wise men with a lot of money.
What is the last thing that counts? Bloomberg says that things will be complicated if you have to rely on a single supplier, but not only that, a deeper into this to create screens level there is a heavy reliance on a company that is responsible for creating the machines that make the OLED screens. The outbreaks point to a Japanese called Canon Tokki.
We always talk about Samsung or LG, and lately we have been getting a Chinese name on the matter, but there are companies that actually below are those that create the machinery, and in the present case Tokki Canon is very important. This small company, surrounded by rice fields, has the monopoly of ‘ELVESS OLED’ machines that create those vivid pixels – red, green and blue – on a glass surface.
Patented accuracy
Belonging to the giant Canon that we all know, this company has no more than 340 employees and has spent two decades perfecting the manufacturing of the equipment necessary to create OLED screens. According to Bloomberg they have a maximum output of 10 machines a year, and have a higher than they can create, with two years of reserves demand.
Why is there no more competition in this? Tokki seems that Canon has a unique patented process creation, based on a system of cameras that allow machines to deposit the pixels with a margin of error. If Samsung or LG cannot create these same machines at home, it will be for something.
Will this have a real impact on Apple and its iPhone? Surely Apple pull Samsung to create their screens, pay what is necessary and the Koreans will give priority to this production. But remember that they already have a too-large line of OLED phones, and having to cover 100 million iPhones – by putting a figure – is going to be tricky.
Sharp also plays
Let ‘s not forget Sharp, newly purchased by the giant Foxconn, and historical creator of the iPhone phones. The head of this company, Terry Gou, was visiting Canon Toki to place orders.
Without leaving the Asian country we have another important protagonist, Japan Display, a company that has the support of the Japanese government – 75 million dollars this month – with the intention that 2018 is a great product of OLED panels.