Huawei, Xiaomi Choose Samsung Foldable Display Over LG’s
Samsung Galaxy Fold is one of the most trending smartphones in the market, despite a few hiccups in its release. There are only a couple of foldable smartphone makers including Xiaomi, Motorola, and Huawei. According to a report from ET News, Samsung will provide foldable displays for both Huawei and Xiaomi.
Previously, Huawei procured displays from LG and BOE for its Mate X foldable smartphone. Reports now state that due to quality and quantity related concerns, Huawei is switching to Samsung Display for its future foldable phones. The report also states that Samsung has already begun developing the foldable OLED panels for Huawei. It is believed that Huawei will use Samsung’s foldable OLED panels in the smartphone expected later this year.
However, for now, Huawei will continue using the BOE for its revamped version of the Mate X, which will likely be launched at MWC. Moreover, the Chinese smartphone maker will continue using BOE as an additional supplier if the production number increases. Yet, Huawei still can’t install Google apps and services on its devices for the time being. So it remains unlikely if the upgraded Mate X will come out in larger numbers.
In addition to Huawei, Xiaomi is also planning to use Samsung foldable displays for its future foldable smartphones. Previously, Xiaomi had used Visionox’s bendable screen in its tri-fold prototype smartphone. But, Xiaomi has cited ‘yield issues’ and will now be switching to Samsung panels instead. But it’s unlikely if Xiaomi will launch a foldable smartphone in 2020. Changes in design and component supply issues have hindered the launch date. Apart from these companies, Vivo and Oppo have also expressed interest in Samsung for foldable OLED.
It is also believed that Samsung has already supplied of foldable OLED to Huawei and Oppo. Samsung will likely up its number of foldable phones this year, which will further expand the supply chain for Chinese manufacturers. The report also states that even American manufacturers like Apple, Google, and Microsoft have expressed interest in Samsung’s foldable OLED. However, it’s unclear if Apple or Google will launch a foldable smartphone anytime soon.