Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) will reportedly pay Samsung Electronics (KRX: 005930) $250 for each main folding panel installed in the iPhone Duo. The information came from leaker Instant Digital, who posted on the Chinese social network Weibo that the supply agreement will run for three years.

The contract covers the current iPhone Duo and the models Apple releases during that period. Samsung reportedly secured the exclusive display agreement because Apple could not find another manufacturer capable of producing a screen that met its requirements.

That leaves Apple dependent on its main competitor in the smartphone industry for the expensive component. LG Display (NYSE: LPL), an important display supplier to Apple, cannot manufacture the flexible screen. BOE Technology Group (SZSE: 000725) already supplies folding panels to Huawei, but Apple reportedly determined that BOE’s version was not suitable for its phone. Samsung was therefore left as the only supplier that met Apple’s specifications.

Samsung secures three years of Apple orders at $250 per inner panel

The iPhone Duo’s display is more difficult to manufacture than the screen used in the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Its more complex production process raises the display’s cost before the component reaches the final assembly stage.

The reported $250 price does not represent Apple’s total screen-related expense. It excludes assembly and testing costs and applies only to the phone’s internal folding display. The available information does not mention the cost of the cover display or provide a combined price for both screens.

Apple designed the Duo in a book-style form factor. When the phone is closed, users see an outer display; opening it reveals a larger flexible panel. The device is Apple’s first foldable and is planned to start at $1,999 this year.

The inner display was designed to offer higher brightness, a longer usable life and a crease intended to be barely visible. Samsung supplies that component.

Samsung quickly mocked Apple after the launch. One social media post read, “so far, so same.” Another said, “Let us know when you’re done reheating our leftovers.” Samsung has sold foldable phones since 2019 and has regularly used Apple and the iPhone as targets in advertisements focused on design choices and features.

Samsung hires another Tim Cook for Galaxy Z Fold8 campaign

Samsung New Zealand later turned the rivalry into an advertisement centered on a familiar name. The company hired a real estate agent named Tim Cook, rather than the Tim Cook who recently served as Apple’s CEO.

The other Tim Cook works with Harcourts in Palmerston North, New Zealand, and appeared in a short campaign for Samsung’s latest foldable phone. The clip introduces him by saying, “Tim Cook has an announcement. And for once, it’s about Galaxy,” before placing the Galaxy Z Fold8 in his hands.

The campaign gives Samsung a Tim Cook of its own while promoting a phone that competes directly with Apple’s new foldable.

The Galaxy Z Fold8 arrived in July with a 5.5-inch cover screen, a 7.6-inch inner display and a weight of 201 grams. Samsung describes it as its lightest Fold model so far. The iPhone Duo also has a 7.6-inch internal display, but it weighs 254 grams.

Both phones use the same book-style design, putting them in direct competition as Apple enters a foldable-phone market Samsung has served for years.

Source: Cryptopolitan