OPPO is expected to unveil its first foldable smartphone dubbed OPPO Find N on December 15. Ahead of the launch, the device has been revealed by Korean media outfit TheElec to have a Samsung Display foldable screen for its 7.1-inch folding OLED panel while the front display is a 5.45-inch flat OLED panelsupplied by China’s BOE.
TheElec has also revealled that other Chinese companies are already patronising Samsung Display for their next foldable phones. Xiaomi is one of such firms as the Xiaomi MIX 2 foldable smartphone is touted to feature a UTG panel supplied by Samsung Display.
Samsung partnered with Corning to pioneer the UTG (Ultra-Thin Glass) foldable display panel in 2020. The Galaxy Fold/Flip series was hitherto the only models utilizing the UTG panel until OPPO came onboard. Meanwhile Chinese smartphone makers use CPI (Colorless Polyimide) as display cover for their foldable models like the Huawei Mate X released in 2019 as well as the Mate X2 and Mi Mix Fold. But obviously, the CPI is not as durable as Samsung Display’s UTG panel hence the quest to shift to UTG. BOE is looking to give Samsung a run for its money in the UTG market.
Xiaomi’s upcoming MIX Fold 2 is detailed to feature Samsung Display’s 8.01-inch OLED panel with UTG as well as TCL CSOT’s 6.52-inch panel for the front screen. Xiaomi had initially used foldable display panels supplied by TCL CSOT as well as for the front screen on the Mi MIX Fold.
Apart from Xiaomi, Vivo is also said to use display panels supplied by Samsung Disply and BOE for the inner foldable and outer displays respectively of its foldable phone. Huawei is said to have considered securing foldable OLED panels from Samsung Display but the plan was later shelved as far back as the first half of the year. The CHinese giant may likely retail BOE who had supplied the panels for the Mate X and Mate X2. Honor’s upcoming foldable device is also tipped to use BOE’s foldable display panel.
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