Google offers at least $880 million to LG for OLED displays: Report

Google is expected to come out two new Pixels and has reportedly struck a deal worth $880 million with LG for bendable OLED displays much like the display on Samsung Galaxy S8.

The picture shows the Pixel XL released last year. Reports suggest that the new edition of Pixel will come with better cameras and OLED displays.

Google Inc has offered to invest at least 1 trillion won ($880.29 million) to help South Korea's LG Display Co Ltd boost output of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens for smartphones, the Electronic Times reported on Monday citing unnamed sources.

The paper said Google offered the investment to secure a stable supply of flexible OLED screens for its next Pixel smartphones. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd's flagship Galaxy smartphones use the bendable displays, while Apple Inc is expected to start using them in at least some of its next iPhones.

LG Display declined to comment, while Google could not be immediately reached for comment.

At the moment, the Pixel and Pixel XL use AMOLED displays supplied by Samsung and only feature a slight 2.5D curvature on the edges of the protective Gorilla Glass. A flexible panel would be more in line with the recently announced Galaxy S8 and S8+.

Details for the next Pixel are still scant, though we've been told in the past by a tipster that a Snapdragon 83X is likely, along with a continued focus on camera performance, and possible waterproofing.

Additionally, device codenames have surfaced that point to at least two screen sizes, with Google again having a smaller and larger-sized phone.

Rumours suggest that Google is once again focusing intensely on the camera with Pixel 2. As for waterproofing, the feature is "still on the table," which would suggest a less firm position from Google on the feature.

($1 = 1,135.9900 won)

(with Reuters inputs)