Samsung may use CSOT rigid OLED panels in the Galaxy A57, trading bezels for lower costs. S26 FE could follow; A58 may get flexible OLEDs if pricing aligns.
© A. Krivonosov
Samsung may partly move away from its own displays in one of its upcoming mid-range smartphones. According to THE ELEC, the company is considering sourcing OLED panels for the Galaxy A57 from the Chinese manufacturer CSOT, which is part of TCL.
The plan involves rigid OLED panels rather than flexible ones. That likely means the Galaxy A57 will arrive with uneven bezels, including a thicker bottom chin. The trade-off trims manufacturing costs but falls short of flexible OLEDs in design and visual symmetry. CSOT wouldn’t be the only supplier: Samsung Display is still expected to produce part of the panels. The same type of screen, the report adds, could also be used in the Galaxy S26 FE, anticipated toward the end of 2026.
Rigid OLEDs remain the cheaper option, yet they are the reason Samsung phones—including models priced up to $650—retain noticeable borders. By contrast, Chinese brands already deploy flexible OLED panels even in devices around $250, while Samsung continues to economize on displays across the FE and A lines. Taken together, the strategy comes across as a calculated bet on cost control over perfectly uniform bezels in the mid-range.
It is reported that Samsung’s mobile division has asked Samsung Display to supply flexible OLED panels at the price of rigid ones. If the companies reach an agreement, such screens could appear in future models like the Galaxy A58 and Galaxy S27 FE in 2027, signaling a shift that would bring slimmer bezels to more affordable Samsung phones without pushing up costs.