Samsung unlikely to use foldable display panels from BOE for Galaxy Z Fold 5: report

Samsung is reportedly gearing up to unveil its next-gen foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5. As expected, the rumour mill has been churning out a lot of speculations about the upcoming devices. Aside from this, these foldable phones have made multiple appearances online in the form of leaks.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5's storage options were recently revealed. Notably, the Korean brand has retained the same hinge design for its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip series of phones for quite some time now. However, that's likely to change in 2023.

Past leaks suggest that Samsung will adopt a teardrop/waterdrop hinge design for its upcoming foldable phones. A previously surfaced report suggests the company's future foldable phones will sport BOE displays. However, an industry insider begs to differ.

The industry insider claims (via SamMobile) Samsung will be making display panels for its 2023 foldable phones. In other words, the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Flip 5 will feature Samsung-made panels. Also, using the teardrop hinge design will make these foldable phones slimmer than their predecessors.

Moreover, adopting the teardrop hinge design for the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip series phones will reduce the crease visibility. If this speculation is true, the upcoming foldable phones will bring one of the most notable changes to the lineup yet. Samsung is bent on making its foldable phones thinner this year, according to a report by Siasat.

It is worth mentioning that leading smartphone manufacturers like Huawei and Xiaomi have already launched foldable phones with a teardrop hinge-like design. Meanwhile, a Galaxy Z Fold 5 prototype sporting a teardrop hinge made its appearance during the recently concluded CES 2023. The prototype was considerably slimmer than the existing Galaxy Z Fold 4.

This could be why the Galaxy Z Fold 5 reportedly lacks the S Pen slot. Moreover, the new foldable phones from Samsung are expected to carry an IPX8 waterproof rating, unlike the current-gen foldable phones with an IPX7 rating. DSCC's Ross Young also believes the Korean tech giant is planning to make foldable display panels for its upcoming devices.

This shred of information doesn't align with previous reports implying that Samsung will buy foldable panels from China's BOE. Samsung hasn't confirmed these speculations yet, so readers are advised to take it carefully.