The Galaxy S27 could be even worse value than ever before

The Samsung Galaxy S27 may have some cutbacks that make it an even less desirable prospect compared to the Plus and Ultra variants. According to the latest rumors, Samsung is looking to offload the production of the S27's display panels to Chinese company BOE, rather than using its own manufacturing facilities.

This would be the first time a Galaxy S phone's display hasn't been made by Samsung, and it could have serious implications for the range going forwards.

It would still be an OLED panel, just not made by Samsung itself

The basic Samsung Galaxy S has had its problems since the Plus and Ultra versions were introduced, but it was always still a top-tier phone with the same basic DNA as its siblings. However, that might change in 2027, if the latest rumors are to be believed (via Android Authority).

According to theSigmaIntel report, Samsung is exploring the idea of using fellow manufacturer BOE to bulk out some of the OLED panels for its entry-tier flagship model.

The idea wouldn't be for Samsung to hand over all production of the S27's displays, as Samsung would still handle the majority of these. Instead, BOE would help to produce them in a way that would help Samsung to reduce costs for the devices.

Why have smartphone displays suddenly got more expensive? They haven't. Instead, it's thought this is a way to cut costs due to the rising prices of memory — so thanks for that, AI bubble.

This wouldn't be the first time we've seen rumors like this recently. It's thought Samsung will use CSOT to produce screens for its low and mid-range phones, with potential savings being as high as 20% compared to producing them in-house.

But Samsung has a problem it needs to hurdle before it can potentially offload S-range display production to another company, and oddly enough, it's to do with Apple. Because Samsung sells a lot of its display panels to other phone manufacturers, like Apple, it often uses the exclusivity of its position as the sole S-range display producer to negotiate prices. But, if that were to change, then Samsung would lose that card, and Apple could end up giving more business to competition like LG.

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It's easy to see why Samsung would think about using the basic S phone as the guinea pig for this change. Sales of the basic S and Plus are way below the Ultra's numbers, and that makes it the best place to cut costs. However, it's not hard to see that these cheaper panels could easily be worse, potentially damaging the prestige of the Galaxy S brand, and saddling customers with worse displays than stablemates.

But, until the AI bubble bursts, we're likely to see more and more of this.