Samsung to begin producing 3 million iPad screens? Apple ordered 13 million total?

According to a report by the sometimes spotty (ahem removable battery?!) Korean Times (via DL), Samsung will soon begin producing iPad screens.  This follows news this morning that Wintek may or may not be having issues with production yields on their iPad touch screen sensors.

“Samsung Electronics has won a contract worth $240 million from Apple to supply 3 million LCD panels used in the iPads,” a high-ranking industry representative told The Korea Times, asking not to be identified. “The most expensive component in the iPad is the display and touch-screen interface that costs $80 for all models. The 9.7-inch display is more than twice the size of the iPhone 3GS screen and costs five times as much,” he said.

LG, who has a $500 million/ multi-year display deal with Apple, is already building 10 million iPad displays according to the report, which would put the total order for displays at 13 million.  That is a lot of iPads.

If true, it will be interesting to see if there is any difference in the capabilities of the two screens.  There was some controversy when Apple changed the quality of the screens in its 13-inch Unibody MacBooks last year.

The Korea Times also states that:

Separately, Samsung Mobile Display ? a flat-screen joint venture between Samsung Electronics and Samsung SDI ? has been in deep talks to supply its LCD panels for Apple’s upcoming 4G iPhones and iPads, a company executive told the newspaper. “As far as I know, Apple will use the LCD panels for its next iPhone models. We are receiving related orders from Apple,” the executive said, without elaborating further.

The same Korean Times said last year that the 4G iPhone would utilize an OLED display.