Apple seems to be squeezing its display suppliers hard this year. The company is reportedly asking for approximately a 20% price cut on iPhone 18 Pro Max OLED panels, even though the screens are getting harder to make.
Apple’s per-panel costs usually go down with each new iPhone generation, but that’s a steeper drop than usual.
Why iPhone 18 Pro Max OLED panels might get cheaper
Apple reportedly proposed to pay around $70 per OLED panel for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Once supply deals are finalized, Samsung Display and LG Display are expected to land closer to $66.50 on average.
That’s almost 20% less than what Apple paid for the iPhone 17 Pro Max panels.
The trend isn’t particularly new. According to a report by The Elec, the iPhone 16 Pro Max panels sometimes topped $100. The price dropped to around $80 for the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
What makes this odd is the timing. The iPhone 18 lineup reportedly will switch to Samsung Display’s new M16 OLED material, which improves brightness, longevity and color accuracy.
But better materials cost more to manufacture, not less. Also, panel makers typically must retune their processes to make yields stable after a switch like this.
Apple’s logic seems to be a need to offset other rising costs in the iPhone bill of materials. Memory chip prices have spiked across the industry, and device manufacturers are reportedly trying to claw back their margins by squeezing component suppliers instead of raising prices outright. Apparently, displays and cameras are the first in line.
Executives at both display makers have acknowledged the pressure. Speaking Wednesday at the K-Display 2026 event in Seoul, South Korea, Samsung Display President Lee Cheong said this year will be “extremely difficult because of chipflation.” He added that suppliers are facing unusually strong demand to cut prices.
On a slightly calmer note, LG Display’s Jeong Cheol-dong said his company is feeling the pressure, too, but ongoing cost-cutting efforts should keep things manageable.
How many iPhone 18 panels each supplier will make
The volume of the order gives us a sense of the scale. Market research firm UBI Research predicts Samsung Display will ship 46 million OLED panels for the standard iPhone 18 lineup. That breaks down to 2 million for the base iPhone 18, 19 million for the iPhone 18 Pro and 26 million for the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
LG Display is projected to supply roughly 41 million panels — 1.09 million for the standard model, 19 million for the Pro, and 21 million for the Pro Max.
What all this could mean for your wallet
Unfortunately, cheaper components don’t necessarily translate to a cheaper iPhone. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in September alongside its first foldable iPhone. This will be followed by the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e in spring of 2027.
Analysts predict that the starting prices of the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max could hit $1,299 and $1,399, respectively. That’s a $200 jump over the current generation.
Don’t expect a display price cut to soften the blow. If anything, it looks like Apple is trying to keep next year’s price hike from getting even worse.
Anurag Chawake is a tech-focused writer specializing in smartphones, apps and consumer technology. His interest in computers began during the Windows 98 era, eventually leading him to explore everything from operating systems to mobile devices and PC hardware. Anurag previously contributed to The Indian Express, covering Apple, Android, gaming and the broader technology landscape.
