According to a report from Korean outlet The Elec (dated around early January 2026), industry insiders say TCL Huaxing (CSOT) will make its debut as a supplier for Samsung's upcoming Galaxy A57 smartphone.
Basically, Samsung is planning a dual-sourcing strategy for the A57's OLED panels - both Samsung Display and TCL CSOT will supply them together.
The big change here is that the Galaxy A57 is moving away from the rigid (glass-substrate) OLEDs that the A5x series has used for years, and switching to flexible OLED with a polyimide (PI) base. This means slimmer, more uniform bezels, a lighter feel, better design freedom, and a more premium-looking screen - something that's already pretty standard on Chinese mid-range phones these days. Sticking with rigid panels would start to look a bit outdated.
The catch is that flexible OLED is more complicated to make and costs more than rigid ones. With memory prices and other components going up, Samsung is under pressure to keep the A57 competitive in the crowded mid-range market without letting the BOM explode. So they've reportedly been pushing suppliers hard to bring the price of flexible panels close to what rigid ones used to cost. Samsung Display got squeezed too, but TCL CSOT apparently came in with a much more aggressive price, which is likely the main reason they're getting a shot at this order.
The Galaxy A5 series (especially the A5x models) has always been one of Samsung's biggest mid-range cash cows, and until now Samsung Display has been the only supplier. Looking ahead, Samsung is said to be targeting around 20 million A-series units in 2026 (including carry-over models like the A56), and the A57 alone could account for a huge chunk - easily in the high single-digit to low double-digit millions. If TCL CSOT really gets into mass production for this model, it would be a massive volume boost for their small-to-medium size OLED business.
One more little detail floating around: the A57 might launch earlier than usual - possibly as soon as February 2026 instead of the typical March window. That could give it a nice head start in the new year.
Overall, this feels like a pretty meaningful shift in the flexible OLED supply chain. TCL CSOT breaking into the Galaxy A series shows how fast Chinese panel makers are catching up on both technology and cost. At the same time, even Samsung seems ready to open the door to more suppliers to keep costs in check and stay sharp in the mid-range fight.
