Samsung is only firm buying subsidiary's mobile-display tech

Samsung Display, a Samsung subsidiary that's affiliated with Samsung Electronics, is having some trouble selling its mobile display technology to any other firms.

Speaking at an industry event in Seoul on Wednesday, Samsung Display CEO Park Dong-geun said that while Samsung Electronics is buying its active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) technology for its mobile devices, no other firms are doing the same.

"Currently, the problem is that we have nowhere else to sell our products besides Samsung Electronics' mobile division," Park said, according to CNET sister site ZDNet Korea. "In the case of China's smartphone market, we are only just beginning (to expand there)."

Samsung has bundled AMOLED into a wide range of its mobile devices, including the Galaxy S5 and its recently unveiled Galaxy Tab S high-end tablet line. The company has argued that AMOLED will deliver better visuals for device makers, but other companies have been content with different technologies, including liquid-crystal displays (LCDs).

Though Park declined to say why his company has faced trouble getting AMOLED into more products, it might have something to do with Samsung Electronics. That company is competing against a wide range of mobile-device makers that don't want to fill the coffers of its parent company, Samsung. Instead, they've used other display makers to provide mobile visual experiences to customers and sidestep having to pay Samsung for anything.

Despite its troubles in mobile, Samsung Display makes screens for a wide range of devices and performs quite well. The company is expected to post a small profit for the second quarter when it announces its financials.

CNET has contacted Samsung Display. We will update this story when we have more information.