No Deal Has Been Made So Far, Says LG About Google Investment For OLED Display

When the news about Google planning to use the OLED screen technology on its upcoming smartphone flagship Pixel 2 emerge, it received no immediate confirmation from the tech company. Google was said planning to integrate the OLED display - a type of display that is currently being used on premium smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S8, on its future devices.

The tech company reportedly offers $880 million of investment to LG Display to secure the supply of the flexible OLED screens for its next Pixel smartphone. The OLED screen technology, other than providing a better display by its vivid colors capability, will help to make the smartphones thinner and lighter. Such specs are important in today's modern smartphones and have always been part of the highlights of the smartphones reviews.

However, LG yesterday stopped naming Google as one of the potential investors from its regulatory filing for the Korean stock exchange, although the company has confirmed that it received the investments offers from Google for its OLED display business. According to LG, there has been no finalized deal made so far between the two companies.

But this still doesn't shut the speculations on Google's plan to make OLED screens available for its future devices - since LG did not deny (in a regulatory filing) about the investment offers. Multiple reports about Google's plan could very well be true after all. Plus, according to the Investor (Korean Media), Google and LG have been discussing the potential partnership for two years now, but Google has "recently become more flexible to rush the panel production".

Google's latest Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones use AMOLED displays, but those were provided by Samsung. Recent reports have suggested that Apple might have secured the majority of Samsung's OLED output for the next two years, which leaves Google with no choice but to try and switch to another display provider. LG has worked with Mountain View on the Nexus phone and is planning to start full-scale OLED panel production by the end of 2017, so a potential big-money investment aligns with the company's interests.