SEOUL, South Korea—LG Display Co., a supplier of Apple’s iPhone screens, said Wednesday that it will invest 1.99 trillion won ($1.75 billion) to produce flexible displays for smartphones, in a sign that more high-end smartphone makers may adopt flexible screens in the near future.
The South Korean company said mass production of flexible displays will start in late 2018, at a scale that will supply enough 5.7-inch sized flexible screens for 3 million handsets per month.
The flexible displays will be made of advanced materials called OLEDs, or organic light emitting diodes, which display more saturated colors, such as a darker black, than LCDs.
While Apple still uses LCD screens for its iPhones, a growing number of mobile phone makers have adopted OLED screens for their flagship phones as they have resolved battery-draining and heat problems associated with the technology. Market watchers say even Apple might use the OLED screens for its iPhones as early as next year.
