Samsung to see increased Chinese uptake of Edge display panels
Samsung Display is expecting orders for its AMOLED panels, especially curved ones, to increase from Chinese smartphone makers thanks to a positive reception from consumers to its Galaxy Edge series, a source familiar with the matter told ZDNet.
Vivo on Tuesday showed off the XPlay5, featuring a 5.4-inch curved Super AMOLED display supplied by Samsung. Chinese vendors such as Xiaomi and Huawei have also requested samples of the latest standard and flexible AMOLED panels from Samsung, the source said, and are considering applying them to next-generation smartphones expected sometime this year.
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Since launching the Galaxy S6 Edge last year, which had some supply issues due to the yield rate of the curved display, Samsung Display has been working to increase production and yield rate for the sought-after panels. Both yield rate and curve radius have improved "dramatically" since then, and the company is ready to supply them to multiple clients, the source added.
CEO Park Dong-geun has repeatedly stated the company is working to diversify clients, with a special focus on Chinese clients. The need for multiple points of sales is increasing due to the saturation of the smartphone market, which has decreased both the price and unit sales of display panels.
Apple is also expected to use AMOLED displays for its next iPhones. Samsung Display has ordered more equipment for AMOLED and is expanding its A3 factory line to meet the expected demand from Apple, who have placed the biggest purchase order after Samsung Electronics.
Samsung Display is the world's largest producer of small- to mid-sized AMOLED display panels, the bulk of which are purchased by affiliate Samsung Electronics for its flagship models. Samsung Electronics first introduced the curved display with the Galaxy Note back in 2014.
According to South Korean OLED consultancy UbiResearch, a total of 230 million small and mid-sized AMOLED panels, worth $10 billion, were shipped last year. This will increase to $15 billion this year and $67 billion by 2020, it said.
A Samsung Display spokesman declined to comment on the matter, saying it doesn't reveal client information.