The end of LCD? Samsung may bring OLED to its cheapest Galaxy phones

Memory supply issues have forced big brands like Samsung and Apple to offset losses from fewer premium phone shipments with higher average selling prices. Market watchers say the strategy won't be sustainable long-term, but for now, it serves the premium phone segment.

Not so much the budget phone niche. There's not enough room for Samsung to bump up budget phone prices without offering customers more value. However, that may change.

A recent report from Korea suggests Samsung Display and other OLED panel manufacturers, including China's BOE and Tianma, are considering bringing OLED technology to low-cost phones. They aim to start manufacturing HD (720p) OLED panels.

Samsung MX doesn't manufacture many Galaxy phones with LCDs. Right now, only the lowest-cost Galaxy A0x phones have LCDs. The rest feature AMOLED or better.

Due to current market conditions, Samsung Display and other OLED panel manufacturers are in a bit of a tight spot. Fewer premium phone shipments led to fewer OLED panels being manufactured. Display makers are reportedly considering bringing OLED to the low-end market as a way to push OLED sales back up again.

Samsung's display arm would, of course, manufacture low-cost OLED panels for any smartphone maker that wanted them. Oppo and Vivo counting among possible clients.

For Samsung's mobile division, this shift in manufacturing strategy for Samsung Display could mean the Galaxy A0x series fully adopts OLED panels soon. It remains to be seen whether that means the average selling price of low-cost Galaxy A phones with OLED panels will also be higher. Likely yes, but by how much is anyone's guess.

The report doesn't mention any timelines for when this transition might happen, but if Samsung's depicted strategy is accurate, budget Galaxy phones with LCD panels might soon become a thing of the past.