Samsung Could Make More Money On iPhones Than Its Own Galaxy Devices

The fight between Android and iPhone has been long and arduous, but one company has learned how to play both sides. Along with having its own lineup of impressive smartphones that compete with Apple, South Korean manufacturer Samsung is a rather dominating force when it comes to display panels in general. And that may be why the company stands to potentially make more from iPhones than even its own Galaxy devices.

If you've been wondering who makes the iPhone Duo's screen, the short answer is Samsung. The company has a three-year agreement to be the sole supplier of Apple's OLED displays for the foldable. Additionally, Samsung is also supplying OLED panels for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, though LG is also providing displays for those. Reports suggest that panels in the iPhone Duo could net Samsung hundreds of dollars per device.

This also wouldn't be the first time Samsung stood to win big off Apple, as it was also also the sole supplier of the iPhone X's display panels and even memory. Back then, the company was making about $110 from each display. This figure ultimately helped Samsung bring in more money from iPhone panels than its own Galaxy S8. So even if its phones may depreciate in value over iPhones, Samsung may have the last laugh, anyway.

Though the two companies have been competitors for quite some time, this hasn't really stopped Apple and Samsung from joining forces. Returning to the example of the iPhone X, it's been estimated that the $110 Samsung made from each display panel has netted the company about $14.3 billion in earnings, based on Apple selling 130 million iPhone X models within 20 months of its release. The company also made $202 from Galaxy S8 components, with reports projecting potential earnings of $10.1 billion based on 50 million devices sold within 20 months of release.

Of course, Apple stopped sharing its sales figures on Macs, iPhones, and iPads back in 2018 – and Samsung isn't a fan of sharing specifics, either. However, it's still rather likely Samsung did pretty well for itself, especially considering that the component side of Samsung's business made up about 35% of the company's revenue in 2016, which was the year prior to the iPhone X's release. Going back to the iPhone Duo, Counterpoint Research expects shipments of folding panels to rise by the end of 2026, with the overall market value growing to $4.4 billion — a 48% increase over 2025.

Though it's a bit too early to tell if the iPhone Duo will make Samsung more money than the Galaxy S26, the company is still expecting to have an extremely profitable second half of the year. It's even made efforts to get a new display production facility up and running. Granted, you might have to wait until 2027 to get an iPhone Duo, but this partnership between rivals could still net Samsung plenty of profit in the long run.