By Greg Gao

(JW Insights) Aug 14 -- Chinese display panel manufacturer Tianma Microelectronics(天马微电子) is vying for Apple’s iPhone SE 4 AMOLED panel orders. Tianma has a chance to join Apple’s flexible OLED supply chain and become a secondary supplier for the iPhone SE 4, supply chain sources revealed to JW Insights on August 11.

The iPhone SE series is priced relatively lower; for instance, the iPhone SE 3 starts at RMB3,499 in China. Consequently, Apple exercises stricter control over supply chain costs, further pressuring the purchase price of the 6.1-inch flexible AMOLED panel for the iPhone SE 4. This leaves panel manufacturers with a very limited profit margin.

Initially, rumors suggested that one China’s OLED panel giant was likely to secure all the orders for the iPhone SE 4 flexible LTPS AMOLED panels, as Samsung Display and LG Display exited the competition for the iPhone SE 4 panel project due to low profits.

Apple has consistently pursued supplier diversification, ensuring that each iPhone model has at least two panel suppliers. It is unlikely that a single domestic OLED panel maker will supply panels for the iPhone SE 4. As a result, Apple is actively seeking other flexible AMOLED panel suppliers to lower costs.

The supply chain insider disclosed that Apple’s panel procurement executives visited several major flexible AMOLED panel manufacturers in China during the first half of the year. A top-tier OLED panel manufacturer is likely to become a primary supplier for the iPhone SE 4 panels, while Tianma could become a secondary supplier for the same panels.

It will take some time for Apple to adopt flexible AMOLED from panel makers such as Tianma. It is unlikely that Tianma and other major Chinese OLED panel makers will be able to pass Apple’s rigorous testing and certification at one time. The launch time of iPhone SE4 may be pushed to 2025, the source suggested.