The U.S. International Trade Commission (commonly known as the ITC) has issued a preliminary ruling that could impact iPhones being assembled in the Chinese market, specifically those with OLED displays from BOE. The ITC found that BOE misappropriated trade secrets from Samsung Display, which could result in a ban on products by using those infringing technologies.
Samsung vs BOE: Legal dispute triggers investigation
As per a Phonearena report, Samsung Display and BOE have been engaged in a serious legal battle over OLED technology. Samsung has claimed that BOE stole its trade secrets, and the ITC agreed in its initial findings.
The final ruling is expected in November 2025, after which the US President will have the authority to approve or reject the exclusion order for iPhones being assembled in China.
Which iPhones could be affected?
BOE reportedly supplies OLED displays for iPhones like:
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Plus
- iPhone 16
- 16 Plus
- And the upcoming iPhone 16e models, which are being sold in the US market.
However, Apple’s recent approval of BOE for iPhone 17 Pro is restricted to the Chinese market only, which may limit the ban’s impact to the other markets.
Will Apple be hit by the ban?
The ITC has not yet clearly stated anything- whether the ban will include just the OLED displays or fully assembled smartphones using BOE’s panels.
Even if Apple avoids a direct ban, Samsung might go ahead with a legal action against companies using the disputed displays, which will include Apple as well.
Apple’s supply chain is in question again
Apple might be forced to remove BOE from its supply chain, especially since BOE had previously lost Apple’s trust for making unauthorised changes to iPhone 13 display designs.
Despite accounting for 20 per cent of Apple’s display orders, BOE could now shift focus to the Chinese market and undercut competitors like Samsung and LG.