The company, based in Sichuan province, is the world’s top producer of large liquid crystal displays, or LCDs. BOE currently supplies LCDs to Apple for its iPad and MacBook ranges, but getting the iPhone contract would be a big deal.

Apple uses OLED technology for its top tier iPhone X, which starts from £999 ($999), supplied by smartphone rival Samsung. Rumours suggest Apple will remove all LCDs from its iPhone range with a refresh to the line-up this September.

BOE Technology Group wants production of its OLED displays by 2020 in a bid to challenge rival companies from South Korea and Japan, which currently hold the monopoly for the increasingly popular screen technology.