Samsung is the world's biggest and highest-rated OLED panel maker. Whenever Apple introduced an OLED screen in its devices, it bought those panels from Samsung Display. However, for the Vision Pro, Apple used OLEDoS screens from Sony. However, to fix Vision Pro's biggest problem, Apple may have to get Samsung's help.
Samsung could make OLED screens for cheaper Vision Pro
While Vision Pro is an impressive device, it hasn't sold all that well. Some reports claim that Apple has sharply cut the production of the Vision Pro because it now has enough stock to last the entire next year. The biggest problem with the Vision Pro is its eye-watering price tag of $3,499 (before taxes!).
So, the company is reportedly working on a cheaper version of the Vision Pro that could help it increase sales. One of the most important components of the Vision Pro is its 3,391ppi OLEDoS screen, which is quite costly. To build a cheaper Vision Pro, it will have to use a lower-tier screen, and Apple is reportedly thinking of using W-OLED+CF panels from Samsung Display.
W-OLED + CF refers to White OLED panels with a color filter. Usually, the OLED panel is formed on a glass sheet, and the color filter is formed on a separate glass sheet. So, on the whole, it requires two glass sheets, increasing the thickness.
Another way to build a W-OLED+CF panel is to form the color filter on the Thin-Film Encapsulation (TFE) of the first glass sheet. Samsung is already using this technology to make OLED panels for its foldable smartphones like the Galaxy Z Fold 6. So, it is Apple's leading choice for becoming the OLED supplier.
However, there is one issue. Samsung's most pixel-dense foldable screen has a pixel density of 426ppi (like the one used in the Galaxy Z Flip 6 in the video below). Apple reportedly needs a panel with a pixel density of around 1,500ppi, which is almost three times Samsung's current figures.
Samsung is the leading firm working on such panels and can make panels for the cheaper Vision Pro. The South Korean firm is reportedly planning to install research equipment for W-OLED+CF made by Sunic System. It is said to be installed at Samsung Display's A3 OLED manufacturing facility.
If Samsung Display successfully makes a 1,500ppi W-OLED+CF panel, we could finally see a cheaper Vision Pro from Apple. It could compete with Samsung's upcoming XR (Extended Reality) headset, which could launch next year.
