Samsung Display is the world supplier of OLED panels, and the rise in OLED panel adoption on smartphones, coupled with a possible Apple deal for flexible OLED screens, is giving Samsung a financial boost in a smartphone market that analysts say has reached levels of saturation that make it nearly impossible to churn a profit. LCD panels have had their heyday, but a new report gives credence to the idea that it won't be long before the first foldable smartphone prototype becomes a reality.
The report comes out of Korea, and it supports what we've already heard about Samsung's investments in flexible OLED screens. The Korean giant has already invested 2 trillion won ($1.7 billion USD) in flexible OLED panels, but the company is now adding to its original investment by giving another 3 trillion won ($2.56 billion USD) to the effort — for a total of 5 trillion won, or $4.26 billion USD, by year's end. We had reported Samsung's decision to invest at least 400 billion won ($325.73 million) into further OLED panel production just three months ago, but it seems as though the decision to invest even further has grown due to the increasing demand for Samsung's trademark panels. Additionally, Samsung is selling off some of its LCD panel production lines to create these new OLED lines, which is good business.
Samsung's next big thing with OLED panels involves the use of flexible OLED screens toward the creation of a foldable smartphone that's now living under the company's Project Valley undertaking. Samsung has started to showcase its foldable smartphone displays, and the company's continued development of the concept with a new patent indicates that the Korean giant hasn't changed its direction on the matter.
Samsung's Project Valley foldable smartphone will be available in 9 markets, and we could see it arrive next year, with an MWC 2017 announcement.
