A recent report from Korea says Samsung Display and other OLED panel makers, including China’s BOE and Tianma, are considering producing HD (720p) OLED panels for low-cost smartphones, a move that could bring OLED screens to Samsung’s cheapest Galaxy models.
Memory supply issues have pushed major brands such as Samsung and Apple to offset losses from fewer premium phone shipments by raising average selling prices; market watchers say that strategy is unlikely to be sustainable long term but currently helps the premium segment.
There is less room to raise prices in the budget phone niche without adding value, and display makers now face lower demand for premium OLED panels because of weaker premium-phone shipments. Reportedly, manufacturers are exploring low-end OLED panels as a way to boost OLED sales.
OLED for entry-level phones
Samsung MX currently uses LCDs only on its lowest-cost Galaxy A0x phones; the rest of its lineup features AMOLED or better. If Samsung Display shifts production toward low-cost OLED panels, the Galaxy A0x series could fully adopt OLED screens. The display unit would manufacture these panels for any smartphone maker that wanted them, with Oppo and Vivo cited as possible clients.
It remains unclear whether low-cost Galaxy A phones equipped with OLED panels would carry higher average selling prices; the report says a price increase is likely, but the amount is unknown.
