How Samsung will make a lot of money off Apple’s first foldable iPhone

Samsung Display is the best in the business when it comes to advanced OLED panels, particularly for foldable devices. Apple has been testing various suppliers to source panels from for its first foldable iPhone that's expected to arrive next year.

Samsung has always been in the mix, but it appears that Apple has now made the decision to only buy foldable OLED panels for these iPhones from the Korean giant. This means that Samsung stands to make a lot of money off of the foldable iPhones.

According to reports out of South Korea, Samsung Display is going to supply over 15 million foldable OLED panels for the new iPhones next year. It's going to be the exclusive supplier of this component to Apple, which has previously considered other suppliers like LG Display and BOE.

This deal will further expand Samsung Display's share in the global foldable panel market, from the current 40% to all the way up to 70%. The initial order size was expected to be 9 million but it appears Apple is projecting strong demand for its first foldable iPhones, thus the bump up to 15 million.

It's unusual for Apple to opt for a sole supplier this time around. The company typically orders the same component from two or more suppliers to have an edge in price negotiations. Samsung will thus be on a stronger footing when it comes to price negotiations with Apple.

Details about the first foldable iPhones are slim. The leading model is expected to feature a 7.8-inch internal foldable panel with a 5.5-inch cover display. It would be a book-style foldable much like the Galaxy Z Fold series. Pricing is also expected to be along the same lines, above $1,400 at the very least. Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone late next year.