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A quote that was a bit surprising: > “The problem is Apple has exclusive rights to [the iPhone Mini’s] display — so, even with the line being discontinued, [Sa

A quote that was a bit surprising: > “The problem is Apple has exclusive rights to [the iPhone Mini’s] display — so, even with the line being discontinued, [Samsung Display] isn’t going to give us access,” he told supporters last month. Apple reserving the latest generation of processors or manufacturing availability is famous. Locking whole screen categories is another thing altogether (later in the article it seems there could be a way though)

icegreentea2 3y ago
Apple didn't lock up an category. Apple locked up their specific panels, which happen to be the only panels in a category. Any other major manufacturer is free to order similarly sized and specs panels - they'll just need to be ready to pay for it. I do wonder how much of this is driven by high performance requirements. If you go non high dpi, and 60Hz, do your options open up?
- ksec 3y ago
  >I do wonder how much of this is driven by high performance requirements. If you go non high dpi, and 60Hz, do your options open up? Except you cant. It is just standard manufacturing problem. If you want the display to be cut in specific size, you either have other industry players with large enough volume, and you buy the same size with different variation on panels. i.e You pick up the scraps of other players. And you are piggy back on their orders. Or you could ask the Display Panel manufacture to custom made for you, which without volume you wont be able to afford. Since Apple isn't ordering those smaller specific size panel any more. Samsung aren't making those. So there are no lower quality grades to pick up. And you cant ask Samsung to give what Apple were using ( since they were the ONLY player in the industry to use that specific size screen ). And they have an exclusive arrangement. Apple also uses slightly different sub pixel alignment. So the moment you use it they will know.
  - icegreentea2 3y ago
    Right, but I'm wondering what happens when you expand out to non-tier 1 suppliers . There's still a giant market of sub 5" trash tier touchscreen LCDs (with like 800x600ish and lower). I wonder if some compromise (say ~5" at around 1280x720) would be sufficiently available. Conversely, I guess my question is why the "trash tier" LCD market seemingly hasn't moved in like 5-10 years.
- makeitdouble 3y ago
  Good point. On the requirement, I wonder if a sub 6" screen without high dpi would be competitive in the current market. As Motorola and the Chinese makers are pushing the price down on the lower end phones while keeping somewhat decent specs, having a smaller screen that is also less crisp so text sizes can't be lowered too much could be a pretty strong disadvantage. Perhaps the expansion of foldable phones could add more options (the external screen tends to be smaller than our current phones).

icegreentea2 3y ago

Apple didn't lock up an category. Apple locked up their specific panels, which happen to be the only panels in a category. Any other major manufacturer is free to order similarly sized and specs panels - they'll just need to be ready to pay for it. I do wonder how much of this is driven by high performance requirements. If you go non high dpi, and 60Hz, do your options open up?

ksec 3y ago
>I do wonder how much of this is driven by high performance requirements. If you go non high dpi, and 60Hz, do your options open up? Except you cant. It is just standard manufacturing problem. If you want the display to be cut in specific size, you either have other industry players with large enough volume, and you buy the same size with different variation on panels. i.e You pick up the scraps of other players. And you are piggy back on their orders. Or you could ask the Display Panel manufacture to custom made for you, which without volume you wont be able to afford. Since Apple isn't ordering those smaller specific size panel any more. Samsung aren't making those. So there are no lower quality grades to pick up. And you cant ask Samsung to give what Apple were using ( since they were the ONLY player in the industry to use that specific size screen ). And they have an exclusive arrangement. Apple also uses slightly different sub pixel alignment. So the moment you use it they will know.
- icegreentea2 3y ago
  Right, but I'm wondering what happens when you expand out to non-tier 1 suppliers . There's still a giant market of sub 5" trash tier touchscreen LCDs (with like 800x600ish and lower). I wonder if some compromise (say ~5" at around 1280x720) would be sufficiently available. Conversely, I guess my question is why the "trash tier" LCD market seemingly hasn't moved in like 5-10 years.
makeitdouble 3y ago
Good point. On the requirement, I wonder if a sub 6" screen without high dpi would be competitive in the current market. As Motorola and the Chinese makers are pushing the price down on the lower end phones while keeping somewhat decent specs, having a smaller screen that is also less crisp so text sizes can't be lowered too much could be a pretty strong disadvantage. Perhaps the expansion of foldable phones could add more options (the external screen tends to be smaller than our current phones).