Bad weather in the US, iPhone 12 displays at risk

MILAN. The Samsung plant in Austin, in the United States, was forced to close due to an energy shortage, a consequence of the cold wave that is raging in the country, especially in Texas. This factory also produces hardware parts that are inside the OLED displays of the iPhone 12, which Apple buys directly from Samsung. According to a report from Nikkei Asia, adverse weather conditions could slow the supply of a key element of today’s iPhone panels, as all four models on sale integrate an OLED screen with controllers made in Texas. The Nikkei Asia report does not provide detailed information on which smartphone version would be most affected by the closure but it is clear that a slowdown in the chain would challenge Apple’s response to strong market demand. Samsung’s plant was responsible for 5% of the global supply of chips for smartphones and PCs, so the brunt of the blackout could involve the production of other brands in the hi-tech sector. The news comes shortly after confirmation that water shortages in Taiwan, where Samsung has several processor manufacturing plants, has lowered the availability of silicon, a key material for making electronic chips. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC), the largest chip maker in the world, had begun ordering water trucks to supply some of its facilities across the island in response to the growing drought.