This is getting interesting. The Smarthouse web site (from Australia) says that a source at LG in Korea confirmed the existance of an OLED notebook and iPhone (and also computer monitors) from Apple. They say that Apple already got a working prototype of the notebook computer.
LG still has some issues with touch-sensitive OLEDs (fingermarks...) but are working to add another layer to fix this.
It's hard to believe that LG will actually release such information about a huge customer such as apple. We'll have to wait and see...
Comments
Does anybody think that LG-Kodak is goinhg to kill LG-Universal Display in this Apple deal?
Like it says in the update - I got word from Kodak that this is an *old* news bit, back from 2008 in fact... I don't think it says anything regarding LG and UDC...
Ron
Do you know how huge LG is? It only takes one voice to spill the beans. If anyone is going to take the plunge and offer OLED equipped notebooks/netbooks it would be Apple. TFT cannot go any further. It is time for a new screen technology.
5 Hundred Million Dollars in cash up front ! Not many companies are in a position to be able to do that. In these times of cutbacks, and reductions in investment capital available, Apple just goes on its merry way. How many companies can say, "We can't keep up with the demand!"
Though Samsung is lightyears ahead of LG in terms of research and development insofar as OLED, AMOLED and now, Super AMOLED are concerned, LG has nevertheless built and sold a 15 inch OLED TV, something that until now, only Sony could brag about, but isn't doing so because of some problem they have. Sony's TV was smaller too.
Samsung has announced that they will stop supplying OLEDs to others so that it can keep up with the cell-phone, pda, electronic photo display, possibly notebook display and other smaller products' display requirements.
I think that Apple wants to monopolize LG's OLED Display manufacturing capabilities, hence the huge up front down payment. Like LG would reject the offer! This will get them into a position to catch up to Samsung in R&D and volume production. They have been hit by this recession too, and are happy I presume to get a little sense of security through this Apple agreement.
Does anyone remember how to spell Sony any more?
If LG released this information, they have breeched their contract and Apple will make them pay one way or another.