Samsung Display to mass produce foldable OLEDs for North American client

Samsung Display is preparing to mass-produce foldable organic light-emitting diode displays for a North American client, the company’s president said on Tuesday, a development that industry observers say increases the likelihood that Apple will introduce a foldable iPhone in 2026. Lee Cheong, president of Samsung Display, told reporters that an 8.6 generation OLED production line is scheduled to begin operations by the end of the second quarter or in the third quarter next year and that the company is moving forward with preparations for mass production of OLED panels for foldable phones to be supplied to a North American client.

Lee did not name the client. Samsung Display is a primary supplier of OLED panels to Apple, and the timing Lee outlined matches the seasonal ramp-up suppliers typically undertake ahead of fall iPhone launches, prompting analysts and suppliers to link the announcement to a possible iPhone Fold debut in the second half of 2026.

Apple has not confirmed a foldable model. Reports in recent months have said Apple tested realistic prototypes over the summer and that software updates being developed for iOS 27 include features tailored to a larger foldable...