Samsung‘s premium smartphones have always been synonymous with the company’s in-house display tech. However, a major shift in the supply chain could be on the horizon for next year’s flagship lineup. Samsung Electronics President and Mobile Chief TM Roh is reportedly scheduling a high-profile meet to China’s BOE Technology Group later this month to discuss a potential OLED display deal amid rumors of a possible screen implementation in the base Galaxy S27.
According to a report by South Korean outlet ET News, this face-to-face meeting marks the first time the head of Samsung’s mobile and TV businesses will officially visit BOE headquarters.
If the Galaxy S27 OLED deal goes through, it will represent an unprecedented break from tradition. While Samsung frequently utilizes third-party Chinese displays to keep costs down on its budget and mid-range devices, its flagship Galaxy S series has historically relied entirely on screens manufactured by its own subsidiary, Samsung Display.
The pressure behind the pivot
This face-to-face meeting, reported by ET News, will mark the first time the head of Samsung’s mobile and TV businesses will officially visit BOE headquarters. The sudden openness to external suppliers boils down to basic economics. The tech industry is currently experiencing a wave of “chipflation,” which has driven up the cost of memory components and internal hardware across the board. Samsung needs to cut manufacturing costs in other areas in an effort to keep healthy profit margins without making steep retail price hikes that might scare off consumers.
BOE already attempted a flagship entry during the development of the Galaxy S21 in 2021. However, that agreement fell apart over pricing and quality concerns. This time around, an industry insider noted that BOE is highly optimistic. The firm expects TM Roh to officially open the door to the premium Galaxy S27 tier during his visit.
Mending fences and moving past TVs
The meeting also signifies a broader thawing of relations between the two tech giants. BOE used to be Samsung’s largest supplier of LCD panels for televisions. However, relations turned frosty after a messy patent infringement dispute led Samsung to halt nearly all purchases from the Chinese manufacturer back in 2023.
Thankfully, the legal drama was officially resolved late last year through a new licensing agreement. Alongside the phone discussions, Roh is expected to secure a substantial boost in television hardware, with Samsung projected to purchase roughly 5 million LCD TV panels from BOE throughout 2026.
We will likely know the definitive fate of the Galaxy S27’s display by the time Roh wraps up his meetings at the end of June.
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