Samsung suspends review process for BOE's OLED panel: report

Samsung Electronics has suspended its internal review process to select China's BOE as the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel supplier for the electronics company’s flagship smartphones next year, according to a local media report Monday.

boe

Samsung Electronics has suspended its internal review process to select China's BOE as the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel supplier for the electronics company’s flagship smartphones next year, according to a local media report Monday.

The decision was likely due to the ongoing legal disputes over OLED-related panels, the report said.

“BOE’s supply plan was confirmed, but then withdrawn due to the conflict between the two companies,” a source was cited as saying.

Samsung Electronics did not confirm the report.

BOE is embroiled in several legal disputes with Samsung Electronics and its panel-making affiliate Samsung Display over patents related to OLED panels.

Samsung Display last year filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission, claiming that more than a dozen iPhone repair shops in the United States were using panels made by BOE using Samsung's proprietary technology.

BOE counterattacked by filing a patent infringement lawsuit against Samsung Display, Samsung Electronics and a number of its Chinese entities with a Chinese court.

Samsung Display recently filed its first legal action against the Chinese panel maker with the Texas Eastern District Court, claiming BOE infringed on five OLED panel structure-related patents.

“[The suspension] is possible, as Samsung seems unhappy about BOE's recent action on suing Samsung over OLED patents,” Yi Choong-hoon, chief analyst and CEO at UBI Research said.

Samsung Electronics is a major client for BOE, with the Korean company sourcing both LCD and OLED panels from Chinese panel makers for its various lineup including TV, smartphones and smartwatches.

BOE started supplying its OLED panels for Samsung Electronics' low-end smartphones in 2021.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]