Google offers $876m to LG for flexible OLED displays – report

The OLED display market is expected to see a massive spike in demand, with rumours that Apple is working on an OLED-equipped iPhone. Now, Google has apparently made a big move in the sector, offering display manufacturer LG a hefty investment.

According to ET News (Google Translate), Google has offered to invest one trillion won ($876-million) in LG‘s Display division in order to ramp up production of flexible OLED screens. The publication says that the size of the investment could still increase. It’s also expected that Google would receive priority on screens if the deal is confirmed.

Google is expected to use the displays in its latest round of Pixel smartphones. But it’s not the only company looking to secure a ton of OLED screens…

Google seems really serious about securing a production line for OLED screens…

The move comes as rumours persist that Apple will release an OLED iPhone. It’s expected that Apple’s decision will result in huge demand for the technology.

In fact, a Bloomberg report claims that the technology is already in short supply. The report says that Apple is tipped to only release one OLED-equipped iPhone specifically because the tech isn’t available in huge quantities. It’s widely expected that Apple will also release two LCD-equipped iPhones.

According to Nikkei, Apple has reached a deal with Samsung to provide 70 million displays for the new iPhone.

“Apple has ordered 70 million units of OLED panels from Samsung this year, while Samsung is preparing to churn out as many as 95 million for Apple in 2017, in case demand exceeds expectations,” an IHS analyst told Nikkei.