Samsung is on the verge of a major legal victory against Chinese display maker BOE, a win that could shake up the pricing of Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17e. The U.S. 
International Trade Commission (ITC) has ruled that BOE violated Samsung Display’s trade secrets, and new restrictions are expected to block the import of BOE’s display panels into the United States.
This spells trouble for Apple, which has relied on BOE to supply lower-cost screens for its budget models like the iPhone 16e. The iPhone 17e was also likely to use BOE panels, but with this ban looming, Apple may have to turn to more expensive suppliers, ultimately raising the retail price of the device.
BOE had only recently won Apple’s trust again after a series of quality issues and had secured orders for the iPhone 17 displays for the Chinese market. However, this ITC ruling could drastically limit BOE’s future with Apple globally, even if production for Chinese consumers remains unaffected.
Apple has been gradually shifting to BOE in an effort to cut display costs, including for MacBook screens, where BOE was poised to dominate. Despite offering more affordable panels than rivals like Samsung Display and LG Display, BOE has frequently stumbled – failing to meet Apple’s standards or breaching contracts, which have now led to this legal setback.
This ITC ruling might mark the end of BOE’s involvement in global iPhone production – unless the company manages to regain credibility and improve its manufacturing on its own terms.