Samsung is currently the only smartphone maker that can loath of making its own foldable glass. The Korean giant, which is already one of the world’s top OLED panel supplier, sources this foldable glass (UTG or Ultra Thin Glass) from its sister company – Samsung Display. However, a new report suggests that Samsung Electronics wants to start making this UTG glass under its own wing and stop taking supplies from its sister firm.
Apparently, the project is in its very early stages but so are foldable smartphones. Hence, we might see no immediate reflection of this development in product prices. Speaking of which, Samsung is doing this mainly to lower the prices and increase margins on foldable smartphones while improving product quality could be the other motivating factor. Samsung’s current most affordable flagship is the Galaxy Z Flip and it is the first to use these UTG displays.
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As per Sammobile, each Ultra-Thin Glass panel used in the Galaxy Z Flip costs $40, which is currently sourced from Samsung Display and then it is fused with the OLED panel. Samsung Electronics has already started looking for partners to kickstart this new venture. Meanwhile, this will open the door for other OEMs to by the foldable glass from Samsung Display as Samsung Electronics becomes self-reliant.
It’s worth noting that Samsung Display holds a monopoly in mass-producing these foldable “glass” layers and having competition from its very own sister sibling would be great as other manufacturers play catch up with them.
