The upcoming Samsung Galaxy M41 would’ve been Samsung’s first device to use a third-party OLED panel. However, it seems like we will have a wait for a little longer for a partnership of this nature, as its launch may no longer take place this month… or ever.
Samsung Display is one of the world’s biggest and best display manufacturers, and supplies panels to many smartphone makers, including Samsung Electronics. This doesn’t necessarily mean all Samsung smartphones will opt for a display from the sister concern. In fact, many M series and A series device in the past have also used LCD panels from third-party vendors.
The Samsung Galaxy M41 was said to be in its final stages of development as the long-due successor to the M40 from last year. One of the key upgrades expected was the move to a 6.67-inch OLED panel, which is still a rarity in this segment. For this, Samsung looked to China Star Optoelectronics Technology (owned by TCL) as a supplier in what would’ve been a historic partnership.
It seems like that will no longer be the case, as a report from South Korean industry publication Thelec states that the CSOT OLED panels failed to clear Samsung’s quality control. This has thrown off the development cycle in a way that the Galaxy M41 might end up getting scrapped. Its focus will shift to the M51 instead.
Samsung will continue to look at Chinese display manufacturers such as CSOT and BOE for cheaper components for its budget smartphones. Earlier this year, CSOT also supplied panels to the Xiaomi Mi 10 and the Motorola Edge Plus, both of which were generally considered as great displays. Samsung also considered a third-party vendor for its 2021 flagships, but even those plans might have fallen through. It is also looking to set up a display manufacturing plant in India to complement its smartphone production facility in Noida.
