Samsung planning US$9b downpayment on iPhone displays

Seoul

AFTER years of battling Apple Inc in courtrooms and retail stores, Samsung Electronics Co may be ready to reconcile for its greater good. That olive branch is expected to cost the Korean company almost US$9 billion upfront.

Samsung is in talks with Apple to be the exclusive supplier of displays for iPhone models scheduled for release next year, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter. The company would need to spend the money building capacity for the technology, which is thinner, brighter and less draining on the battery than those in most current smartphones.