Apple and Samsung smartphone screen supplier expands Vietnamese production capacity
Chinese technology group BOE, which supplies both Apple and Samsung, is preparing to build two new factories in Vietnam.
The smart display company plans to invest up to £330m ($400m) in its expansion, according to Reuters.
It wants to rent up to 100 hectares of land in the northern region, 80 per cent of which will be used to produce displays, and the rest for remote control systems.
BOE currently just owns a small plant in south Vietnam which supplies television screens to Samsung and LG.
The tech firm plans to make organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) screens at the new plants instead of the less advanced liquid-crystal displays (LCDs). Apple’s newest iPhones use OLED screens.
These recent revelations come from two inside sources, who wish to remain unknown due to the confidential nature of negotiations.
According to Kuo Ming-Chi, analyst at TF International Securities, BOE may reach top spot on Apple’s screen supplier list by 2024, surpassing Samsung Electronics.
U.S. tech giant Apple is seeking to distance itself from Chinese supply chains amid threats by China’s COVID-19 containment policy and ongoing tensions with Taiwan.
BOE and Apple were approached for comment.