Samsung and BOE Discuss LCD Partnership After OLED Dispute Settlement

Samsung and BOE may expand their LCD partnership. This comes after the two companies resolved a long-standing legal dispute over OLED technology. If true, the Korean firm will once again strengthen its relations with the Chinese display maker, diversifying its supply chain.

Samsung looks to diversify its LCD supply chain with BOE

Back in 2022, Samsung stopped making its own LCD panels to prioritize the development of Quantum Dot and OLED technologies. Since then, the company has relied on third-party manufacturers for its TV displays. Among these suppliers, CSOT has become a primary source, mainly after LG Display sold its Guangzhou LCD factory to CSOT. Now, Samsung may be looking to diversify its supply chain by increasing orders from BOE.

According to a report from Yonhap News Agency, BOE Chairman Chen Yanshun recently visited Samsung’s headquarters in Suwon, south of Seoul. During his visit, he met with Yong Seok-woo, head of Samsung’s visual display business. They discussed expanding BOE’s supply of LCD panels to Samsung.

As of now, it’s unclear what share of total LCD panel orders Samsung agreed to allocate to BOE. Given that the company does not allow any single vendor to supply more than 35% of its total LCD panel requirements, BOE’s share could be below that threshold. However, earlier this year, BOE offered to supply Samsung with more than 20 million LCD panels for its TVs over three years, from 2026 to 2028.

For the uninitiated, Samsung reportedly limited its LCD orders to BOE in 2023, mainly due to a dispute over advertising royalties. BOE had refused to pay advertising royalty fees of around 100 billion won. Last month, the two companies reached a settlement to resolve multiple legal disputes of patent infringement and trade secret theft. It’s unclear whether BOE agreed to pay the royalty fees or if the companies agreed to new terms. We should learn about this in the coming months.