Samsung may charge Apple $250 for each foldable iPhone display under reported three-year deal

Apple’s first foldable iPhone could have a significant Samsung component at its heart, with Samsung Display reportedly set to supply the inner folding screen under an exclusive three-year agreement, Times of India reported.

According to Weibo leaker Instant Digital, Samsung Display has signed a three-year exclusive supply agreement with Apple covering the foldable iPhone, reportedly referred to as the iPhone Duo, as well as subsequent models. The South Korean company is said to be charging Apple around $250 for each inner folding display panel.

Also Read: 'Apple enters late but sets the rules': A $1,999 bet on the foldable market with iPhone Duo


Apple has not publicly confirmed either the reported agreement or the $250 price.

If accurate, the deal would give Samsung a major role in Apple’s entry into the foldable smartphone market. The inner display is among the most technically demanding components of a foldable phone, requiring a flexible panel that can withstand repeated folding without compromising brightness, colour performance or durability.

In a recent Weibo post, Instant Digital wrote, “Samsung Display has signed a three-year exclusive supply agreement with Apple to supply foldable screen panels for the iPhone Duo and subsequent models. Apple will pay approximately $250 per panel, making it one of the most expensive core components in the entire device.”

Why Apple may be relying on Samsung

Samsung Display was already widely reported to be the supplier of the folding panel for Apple's first foldable iPhone. The latest claim adds details about the reported duration of the arrangement and the price Apple could be paying for each panel.

Apple's other major display suppliers may not currently offer an obvious alternative for the technology required. Previous reports have indicated that LG Display does not yet manufacture folding screens, while China's BOE supplies foldable panels to smartphone makers including Huawei.

Reports have also claimed that Apple has concerns over the quality and reliability of BOE's foldable panels. That could leave Samsung Display in a particularly strong position as Apple prepares its first foldable iPhone.

The reported iPhone Duo display is said to use Samsung's M16 OLED material set, which is designed to improve brightness, colour performance, lifespan and power efficiency over previous OLED generations.

The folding panel is also expected to use multiple layers designed to withstand repeated folding. Apple has reportedly described the material above and below the folding display as "high-strength glass".

Also Read: The iPhone is about to fold as Apple comes for a market Samsung owned

Industry reports have said Samsung assembles the dual Ultra Thin Glass, or UTG, structure, while Samsung partner Dowoo Insys supplies the UTG layers and Samsung Display develops the OLED layer at the centre.

Why a $250 display matters

A reported $250 price tag would make the inner display considerably more expensive than the conventional OLED panels used in current iPhones.

Apple was previously estimated to pay Samsung and LG Display around $70 for display panels used in models such as the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Foldable displays are significantly more complex because they have to repeatedly bend while maintaining image quality and structural integrity.

The source material claims that Apple's foldable display uses 10 layers, including a nano-texture layer.

At $250, the inner folding panel alone would represent roughly one-eighth of the reported $1,999 starting price of the iPhone Duo. The figure also appears to apply only to the internal folding screen; it does not include the phone's external display, assembly or testing costs.

The reported display cost could also offer some context for potentially expensive repairs. Apple has not confirmed how much it would charge to replace the iPhone Duo's display, although a recent report suggested the cost could reach as much as $1,000.

What the deal could mean for Samsung

If the reported agreement is accurate, Samsung Display could supply folding panels not only for Apple's first foldable iPhone but also for subsequent models covered by the three-year deal.

That could give Samsung Display a relatively predictable stream of business from Apple, particularly if the company follows an annual release cycle for its foldable iPhones.

The iPhone Duo is expected to launch at $1,999, or Rs 2,99,900 in India. One forecast has suggested that Apple could ship more than five million foldable phones by the end of 2026, potentially giving it a 25% share of the foldable smartphone market.

Those figures remain forecasts and could change once the device launches and actual demand becomes clearer.

For now, the reported Samsung deal underscores how heavily Apple's first foldable iPhone may depend on display technology that Samsung has spent years developing — even as the two companies remain major competitors in the smartphone market.