Chinese display manufacturer BOE really wants to be part of the iPad Air supply chain, and aims to take some of Apple's custom for the OLED panel away from Samsung Display.
The iPad Air is anticipated to gain an OLED panel as part of its spring 2027 refresh. While Samsung Display is widely expected to continue being the main OLED supplier for Apple, one company wants in on the action.
According to TheElec on Tuesday, BOE is pushing to become a secondary display supplier for the OLED iPad Air, alongside Samsung Display. It is reportedly developing OLED panels for the next iPad Air, in the hope it can convince Apple.
Development of the panels is taking place at the B12 facility in Chongqing, China. It's currently where the company produces sixth-generation OLED panels.
While ambitious, BOE isn't in a position where it can secure those orders now, but it hopes to get there. It has yet to reach the mass production qualification stage, but it will be sending samples for evaluation by Apple's qualification process soon.
Apple is expected to decide whether or not BOE is capable of handling its orders by the end of 2026. If BOE doesn't qualify, Samsung Display will stay the sole supplier for the initial production run of the iPad Air.
Even if BOE succeeds, the first shipments may only be limited to refurbished models or to the Chinese market.
BOE going beyond
BOE has repeatedly tried to become a primary display producer in Apple's supply chain, but with limited success. Over the years, it has tried to convince Apple that it could actually handle its orders to Apple's expected levels of quality, but it has struggled to go beyond the lower-tier iPhones.
One seemingly successful effort occurred in July 2025, when BOE was approved to make iPhone 17 Pro displays for sale in China. However, by November, reliability problems during manufacturing forced Apple to go elsewhere.
In May, BOE was not a contender for the iPhone 18 Pro displays, with Samsung Display and LG Display securing OLED panel orders.
BOE has, to a point, proven itself with the lower-end displays, but it still struggles with the premium, more advanced versions. Even if it manages to meet Apple's quality checks, there's no guarantee that Apple will reconsider if BOE fails to keep up with the orders.