According to Korean media reports, Chinese panel manufacturer BOE is trying to break into Samsung's high-end flagship supply chain, hoping to provide displays for the upcoming Galaxy S27 series. BOE's move is believed to be inspired by fellow company CSOT: The latter has won some screen orders for Samsung's mid-range model Galaxy A57, becoming the second-largest supplier of the phone after Samsung Display.
Currently, the main screen supplier for the Galaxy A57 is still Samsung Display, but in terms of shipments, TCL’s CSOT has become the second supplier. Against this background, there are reports that Samsung Electronics is considering introducing BOE as the second screen supplier besides Samsung Display in the Galaxy S27 project, but the relevant decision has not yet been finalized.
If BOE successfully enters the Galaxy S27 supply system, it will help Samsung Electronics to reduce costs in the screen procurement process, thereby investing the saved budget in key components such as more expensive memory chips. The report also pointed out that from the perspective of interest considerations at the entire Samsung Group level, introducing BOE to participate in the supply of high-end models may weaken Samsung Display’s bargaining power in negotiations with Apple, so this plan is still controversial internally.
Despite this, Chinese panel manufacturers still have a clear price advantage over Samsung Display, which is particularly important in an environment where storage price fluctuations have intensified in recent years. The balance between cost pressure and internal competition within the group will still have a profound impact on whether Samsung Electronics will officially use BOE screens on the Galaxy S27. The final direction remains to be seen.