Samsung Electronics is contemplating the inclusion of GlobalFoundries as an additional foundry supplier for display driver integrated circuits (DDIs) in its OLED-based Galaxy phones. This strategic move aims to lessen its dependence on its current exclusive supplier, Taiwan's United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC). Presently, Samsung's DDI chips are crafted by its internal System LSI division and are solely produced by UMC. Nevertheless, the constrained chip supply landscape, notably the super-cycle upswing in the memory chip sector that has resulted in demand for mature-process chips surpassing available capacity, has left UMC grappling to fulfill Samsung's order volumes. This predicament has already taken a toll on the production capabilities of some of Samsung's premier models, like the Galaxy Z Fold8, which has experienced diminished output owing to DDI scarcities.

To tackle this challenge, Samsung has laid out plans to incorporate DDIs manufactured by GlobalFoundries in select mid-to-low-end Galaxy A series phones, commencing from the latter part of 2027. GlobalFoundries will fabricate these chips utilizing 22nm or 28nm processes, leveraging its wafer fabrication facilities situated in regions such as Singapore and Germany.