According to the DSCC, the panel shipments for the iPhone 15 series are experiencing a notable increase compared to the same period last year when the iPhone 14 series was launched.
The latest data from the company indicates that the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to capture a larger market share than the iPhone 14 Pro models during the June – August timeframe. This projection is driven by various improvements and enhancements anticipated in the iPhone 15 series.
The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are expected to feature 6.12” and 6.69” displays, respectively, indicating an increase in screen size. The new series will be equipped with the A16 Bionic chipset and a USB-C port. For the Pro models Apple is reported to be adopting the advanced 3nm A17 Bionic chipset, introducing ultra-thin bezels and a titanium chassis for enhanced durability. Battery efficiency is also set to improve through battery stacked technology, while Wi-Fi 6E support and an increase in RAM are also expected.
These enhancements lead to speculations about potentially higher starting prices for the iPhone 15 Pro models, likely resulting in an elevated blended average selling price (ASP) for the iPhone 15 series compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 14 series, during the corresponding period last year.
As for panel suppliers, the dominance of SDC in panel shipments for the iPhone 15 series is a given. While BOE and LGD have encountered technical challenges, including issues with dynamic island, DSCC says its source have told it that LGD has resolved the challenges related to the narrower bezels on the iPhone 15 Pro models.
The introduction of the dynamic island in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max necessitated an additional process step to address concerns about laser particle scattering and potential contamination of the thin film encapsulation (TFE) from moisture and oxygen. Apple’s solution involved implementing an extra exposure layer to separate the active area from the display area after adding the TFE and touch electrodes. This approach minimized reliance on lasers and instead used inkjet equipment to achieve uniform heights.
BOE is expected to commence shipping panels for the iPhone 15 Plus, while SDC will continue supplying panels for all four iPhone 15 models, similar to its contributions in previous iPhone iterations. LGD is projected to provide panels for the LTPO OLED-based iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
