Last year’s iPhone 16e marked the beginning of this spiritual successor lineup to the “SE” models. After a promising start, sales did not meet Apple’s expectations in the long run. However, the company decided to continue betting on the series by launching the iPhone 17e in 2026. And now, it looks like Samsung could be reaping the benefits by supplying Apple with millions of OLED displays for the iPhone 17e.
Samsung supplying millions of OLED panels for iPhone 17e
According to the Korean publication The Elec, Samsung is reportedly supplying Apple with millions of OLED panels that are being used in the iPhone 17e. It’s not surprising that Samsung is Apple’s main supplier. The company has been supplying Apple with displays for years. In fact, there is a chance that Samsung could also be Apple’s supplier for flexible OLED displays used in the rumored iPhone Fold.
Breaking down these numbers further, the report claims Samsung Display supplied 11 million OLED panels for the iPhone 16e last year. This accounted for 50% of overall volume. BOE, on the other hand, supplied 7.5 million panels. Coming in third place is LG at 3.5 million panels.
It’s not surprising that Apple relies on multiple suppliers. This is standard practice for many companies that don’t want to rely on one company too much. That being said, the OLED panels supplied by Samsung aren’t the high-end type. Given the specs of the iPhone 17e, these are relatively low-cost panels with a 60Hz refresh rate. So, nothing too fancy.
In case you missed it
Just in case you missed Apple’s announcement last year, the iPhone 17e is the company’s latest budget iPhone. It features the use of the A19 chipset. That’s the same chipset used in the base iPhone 17 model. It also comes with Apple’s custom C1X modem. The phone packs a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate and comes with a base storage of 256GB. Other specs include a singular 48MP Fusion camera.
Apple has managed to keep the price at $599. This price tag was one of the reasons the iPhone 16e was a bit contentious when it launched last year. However, in 2026, $599 actually represents pretty good value for money. We’re facing a memory shortage crisis now, and phone makers are expected to increase prices of their products in response.
For Apple to maintain those prices makes the iPhone 17e more attractive than ever. Will the phone continue the success of its predecessor? We’ll have to wait and see.
The post Samsung Is Cashing In on the iPhone 17e in a Big Way appeared first on Android Headlines.
