Apple considering further measures to save Japan Display

AppleInsider

The financially struggling Japan Display is reportedly in talks with Apple about reinvestment and waiving debts following its loss of a bailout partner this week.

The iPhone XR has an LCD screen, but Apple has moved to OLED for the higher end of the range

Apple is reportedly considering a request from Japan Display Inc to help with its financial situation by waiving money it is owed, guaranteeing orders, and also investing around $185 million.

"We are not sure yet if we would really need to tap Apple to chip in, and the amount could be lower..., but they are at least showing willingness," a source involved in the talks told the Wall Street Journal. "You'd be surprised to see how supportive Apple is to us."

The source says that Apple has told them it will consider the request.

The iPhone LCD screen maker has been one of Apple's largest suppliers, but it's faced difficulties over lower phone sales and the move away from LCD to OLED. It also built a new LCD plant in 2015, which was partly funded by Apple and is why Japan Display is in debt to the company.

On Monday, part of a consortium that in total had been intending to bailout the firm with an investment of $700 million, withdrew from the deal.

One possible reason for that decision, according to the Journal, is that investors believe Apple may completely move to OLED for its iPhones in 2020. Japan Display, according to sources confirming earlier rumors, is set to make OLED screens for the Apple Watch, but is not currently able to make them for the iPhone.

As part of the bailout plan, it had been reported that Apple had renegotiated the terms of Japan Display's debt repayment over the plant.

Apple has not yet commented on the matter.

n2itivguy

IMHO, costs of OLED need to come down before all iPhones incorporate it into their builds. The current LCD on the iPhone XR is fantastic! 

tjwolf

I feel for Japan Display, especially if they built a new plant just for Apple's LCD needs at the time (2015).  But the company seems pretty incapable - OLED has started appearing in smartphones as early as 2012 and has been heralded as the future ever since.  Here we are, 7 years later, and Japan Display still can barely manufacture enough OLEDs for Apple's watches, much less their phones.

And technology doesn't stand still.  In the not too distant future, OLEDs in watches will probably be replaced with micro-LEDs and phones & TVs are likely to follow a few years later.  Maybe it's time for this dinosaur to die out, if it can't keep pace.

jbdragon

n2itivguy said:

IMHO, costs of OLED need to come down before all iPhones incorporate it into their builds. The current LCD on the iPhone XR is fantastic! 

I have my OLED on my iPhone XS and personally, I don't think it's really any better of a screen than was on my iPhone 6 that it replaced. Maybe if I looked at them side by side I might say different. Maybe blacker blacks. But really, the iphone has had some really good LCD display's.

racerhomie3

Apple should push the iPhone XR across the globe & in a few years it should become India’s best selling iPhone. Apple should not discontinue the device in September.

dedgecko

jbdragon said:

n2itivguy said:

IMHO, costs of OLED need to come down before all iPhones incorporate it into their builds. The current LCD on the iPhone XR is fantastic! 

I have my OLED on my iPhone XS and personally, I don't think it's really any better of a screen than was on my iPhone 6 that it replaced. Maybe if I looked at them side by side I might say different. Maybe blacker blacks. But really, the iphone has had some really good LCD display's.

Then you don’t value watching content in a dark environment. Or your phone never made it to the evening.

Regardless, iPhone needs to be able to go darker. It’s still too bright when all the lights go out. Hopefully Dark Mode helps with this. 

FileMakerFeller

tjwolf said:

I feel for Japan Display, especially if they built a new plant just for Apple's LCD needs at the time (2015).  But the company seems pretty incapable - OLED has started appearing in smartphones as early as 2012 and has been heralded as the future ever since.  Here we are, 7 years later, and Japan Display still can barely manufacture enough OLEDs for Apple's watches, much less their phones.

And technology doesn't stand still.  In the not too distant future, OLEDs in watches will probably be replaced with micro-LEDs and phones & TVs are likely to follow a few years later.  Maybe it's time for this dinosaur to die out, if it can't keep pace.

I'm not so sure it's a lack of competence. They wouldn't have built the extra plant without a commitment from Apple - and Apple may have suddenly changed their mind and switched to OLEDs for the XS iPhones, which is why they're being relatively generous now.

Also, don't forget that Japan suffered absolutely massive damage from the earthquake and tsunami in 2011 - not only Japan Display but also its supply chain could have been disrupted beyond all reasonable forecast, so it's hard to hold management accountable for such a situation.

AppleExposed

n2itivguy said:

IMHO, costs of OLED need to come down before all iPhones incorporate it into their builds. The current LCD on the iPhone XR is fantastic! 

Apples Super Retina LCD was quite the accomplishment! Much better than OLED in various ways.