The Samsung monitor will not be the supplier of the small folding panels that will be included in Huawei’s next foldable smartphone. According to a new report from the Far East, Huawei and Samsung had at least one gentlemen’s agreement on the matter, but their cooperation was interrupted shortly thereafter.
The obstacle they encountered probably had something to do with the United States Department of Commerce and its perpetual determination to impose a series of trade sanctions against Huawei in a merciless way at the beginning of last year.
Wait, didn’t the US approve this deal in October?
That was not the beginning of Huawei’s problems with Washington, mind you. Not to mention that this development has undoubtedly given some other Samsung divisions more cause for celebration than Samsung Display itself would have had, if the result were different.
And while the conclusion of this story is not particularly surprising, it was also far from certain a few months ago. That’s because Samsung’s folding screen technology is largely independent of American intellectual property. In fact, the US reportedly gave the go-ahead for this specific deal in October.
Even so, Huawei opted for a last-minute supplier switch, according to this latest report. The Mate X2, due for release in late February, will use folding screens from BOE, China’s most successful screen maker and one of Samsung’s biggest rivals in the segment. Given the broader context of the situation, Huawei probably wanted to avoid initiating yet another optional relationship with a foreign supplier that the U.S. can take away at will, especially when that entity becomes its main global rival in consumer electronics.
However, this was certainly a disappointing turnaround for the Samsung screen. It is unlikely to reflect for a long time, however, due to all the money that is to be made this year.