With two major smartphone lines entering their second generation, Samsung is undeniably the leader in the folding display mobile space. Now, Samsung is reportedly set to start selling those folding displays to other OEMs.
Chinese smartphone makers, in particular, will benefit from the sales, reports from the region indicate. In fact, Samsung all set to start selling as many as 1 million panels in 2021. And those screens won’t be limited too much either, in terms of form. The company will be selling both vertical and horizontal flexible panels.
Who will be picking up the new folding displays from Samsung?
Now, the reports do not give away too much information about exactly who Samsung will be selling its folding displays too. Some likely candidates, though, are Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, and potentially Google.
The latter company has already been making the rounds in rumors about a folding smartphone that could launch this year. And Xiaomi stands right alongside the search giant as another company with big plans. All told, Xiaomi is expected to be working on as many as three folding smartphones for “next year.”
The phones from Xiaomi will reportedly include three styles — an outward-folding, in-folding, and clamshell-style device. OPPO has already started work, conversely, and plans to launch its own foldable phone in 2021. With Vivo likely to follow along behind in short order.
Samsung is said to be working with ‘multiple’ China-based smartphone makers regarding its folding screens. And Samsung has, allegedly, already agreed to deals with some of those OEMs. So it isn’t at all unlikely that more companies will be revealed in the coming months.
Won’t this eat into Samsung’s business?
Now, working with other companies on display panels is nothing new for Samsung. The South Korean tech giant already coordinates with others on AMOLED panels. And Samsung won’t necessarily be giving out all of its trade secrets as part of the deal. It has its own Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 and a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 2. That’s in addition to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Flip Lite expected in 2021.