One of the more intriguing stories to follow in recent months has been the relationship between Samsung and several of the big-name tech companies that have relied upon it for components. Apple has made definitive moves away from Samsung and Google has shown some wariness about the company’s overwhelming clout in the Android ecosystem. But any anxieties Google might have about Samsung haven’t been enough to keep the South Korea-based manufacturer out of the loop on Google’s most experimental projects.
The Korea Times reports that Google is using Samsung’s OLED displays for the consumer version of Google Glass, a decision that one of the publication’s supply chain sources describes as “a really big thing because it means that Google shares confidential information with Samsung on its future projects.” Another Samsung supplier, meanwhile, tells The Korea Times that “Google treats Samsung as a very serious business partner” and says that using Samsung’s displays on Glass will “further boost its OLED business.”
In other words, whatever reservations Google has about Samsung in the Android market haven’t led the company to view it as a straight-up rival just yet.