Samsung

Samsung reportedly cuts costs on displays for foldables with new bezels

Ben Schoon | Jan 29 2024 - 8:22 am PT

Foldable smartphones are expensive, and prices haven’t really meaningfully come down over the past few years. According to a new report, though, Samsung is reportedly trying to cut costs on foldable displays with an interesting new method.

The Elec reports that Samsung Display is preparing to use inkjet printing to create the bezels on foldable displays. Prior to this, Samsung used a “micro dry process decoration” from Segyung Hitech to create the bezels. That process used a film that would later be cut off to form the bezels, while this new inkjet method would have the bezels in place already.

Bezel films are attached to OLED panels to protect the display panel, and are in between the panel and the ultra-thin glass on Samsung’s foldable display products.

While it’s unclear if there will be any tangible difference in the end product, it seems the benefit here would be in terms of cost as economy of scale kicks in. The Elec explains (translated) that “using inkjet printing, the film initially made is much longer compared to MDD, sources said, so more films that can become bezels can be cut out of the original film that was made.”

Samsung is rumored to be working on a more affordably priced foldable to debut alongside its typical Galaxy Z Fold 6, but this cost-cutting measure could also signal that Samsung may be aiming to bring down its costs across the board. The Galaxy Z series faces competition from other brands that are offering comparable products at lower prices, so it’ll be interesting to see if we see further cuts from the current $999 and $1,799 price points with the next generation.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 are expected to launch later this year.