Apple and Sharp are in talks to purchase Japan Display’s “main Hakusan factory in Ishikawa Prefecture,” according to Nikkei.
As Apple has increasingly switched iPhones to OLED screens, instead of LCD panels, Japan Display (JDI) has struggled due to poor sales. Apple recently led a round of backers in giving JDI a $368 million relief package in an effort to prop up the company.
According to Nikkei, in mid-December, Apple was likely in talks to purchase the equipment from the factory, but that appears to have shifted to purchasing the entire facility and grounds.
It’s unclear what role Sharp will play, but the two companies “are still considering how to share stakes in the facility.” Since Apple paid for nearly half the cost of building the factory before it came online in 2016, this deal probably represents the best chance for Apple to recoup its investment.