Every time we think the iPhone SE is dead, a new rumor comes out to remind us it’s not. This time it’s about the display—and reportedly Samsung won’t make them.
According to ZDNet Korea (via ITHome), Samsung has declined the opportunity to supply Apple with iPhone SE 4 displays due to price issues. The report claims Apple wants to pay around $25 per display while Samsung is looking to get $30. While early reports claimed Apple would stick with an LCD screen for the iPhone SE 4 (like the iPhone 11), recent rumors claim it will have an OLED screen, which can be significantly more expensive.
Samsung has been supplying OLED panels to Apple since the first iPhone with an OLED display: iPhone X.
Apple released the iPhone SE 3 in March 2022 with 5G and a slightly higher price tag of $429. It also includes the A15 Bionic processor and “advanced” camera features including Smart HDR 4, Photographic Styles, and Deep Fusion, though Apple stuck with a single rear camera. The latest iPhone SE rumors claim the next model will be a dramatic redesign that dumps the Home button and adopts an all-screen design. It’s also expected to get Face ID and a newer processor, but most reports claim it will still have a single camera.
With Samsung out of the picture, Chinese company BOE is the front-runner as the display supplier for the iPhone SE. Apple has worked with BOE in the past but has had some reported issues with quality and reliability.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.