iPhone manufacturer Foxconn has posted a $5.3 billion bid to buy Sharp, the Japanese display manufacturer who has faced financial difficulties in recent years. iPhone displays are currently manufactured by Sharp, Samsung and LG and assembled at Foxconn’s plant. A successful Sharp purchase puts Foxconn in the position to make iPhone display components, going beyond assembly.
Another possibility is that Foxconn will start producing its own branded electronics products, although competition with Apple is unlikely given their relationship. Foxconn is certainly being aggressive with its offer.
Foxconn has promised to retain current Sharp management, in an effort to woo skeptics of foreign takeover. It is also willing to take on Sharp’s debts to secure the deal. Outlook for iPhone is unclear however, as rumors continue to suggest Apple will adopt OLED screen technology in the next couple of years. Apple is not expected to use OLED in the iPhone 7, with most rumors pointing to 2017 and 2018 time periods. The capacity for Sharp to make OLED panels is unknown.
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Sharp? Were they the ones who made the crap screens in the white MacBook? I remember Apple used two suppliers: you either got a good display or a terrible dithered monstrosity.
It’s sad to here Sharp being in such trouble. Without them there would be no LCD displays. Though LCD was invented in the USA in the 70s but had no use for it. Sharp took over research and development and invented most of today LCD technology.
My first portable computer was a Sharp PC-1500 with cool 4 color pen plotter and later the SL5000 Linux PDA.
The japanese have a habit of creating something great and then losing it to others because of their inability to market it properly.
These are the kind of acquisitions I would rather see Apple making. A company that can help design and manufacture innovations that are exclusively to themselves similarly to the A processor series. Would be a better use of stocked away money then say… Beats.