Samsung’s base Galaxy S phone could be heading for a pretty significant change — and not necessarily one buyers will love.
According to a new report, the company is considering using display panels made by Chinese manufacturer BOE for the Galaxy S27 instead of relying entirely on Samsung-made screens.
If that happens, it would mark the first time a Galaxy S-series flagship has shipped with a display not fully produced by Samsung itself.
The rumour suggests Samsung wouldn’t completely hand over production. Instead, BOE would help manufacture some OLED panels for the standard Galaxy S27 as a way to reduce costs. Meanwhile, Samsung Display would continue producing the majority of them. The move reportedly comes as component prices, particularly memory, continue to rise. As a result, phone makers are being forced to look for savings elsewhere.
Samsung would still use OLED panels, so the company isn’t suddenly switching to cheaper LCD screens. But the concern is more about consistency and prestige. Samsung’s displays have long been one of the company’s biggest selling points. Using third-party suppliers on a flagship model could blur the gap between the Galaxy S range and cheaper phones.
It also says a lot about where Samsung sees the standard Galaxy S model today. Since the introduction of the Plus and Ultra variants, the regular Galaxy S has increasingly felt like the middle child of the lineup. The Ultra’s camera upgrades and premium features often overshadow it. If Samsung is going to experiment with cost-cutting measures, the base model is arguably the safest place to do it.
There’s another complication, too. Samsung Display also supplies screens to rivals like Apple, and part of its leverage comes from being the exclusive producer of Galaxy S displays. If Samsung starts outsourcing some of that production, it could weaken its negotiating position, potentially giving competitors like LG Display more room to win contracts.
None of this is confirmed yet, and the Galaxy S27 is still a long way off. But if the rumours are accurate, Samsung may be preparing to make tougher compromises to keep flagship pricing under control.
