Samsung is hoping to break its previous sales records and ship a whopping 500 million smartphones during 2013, according to sources in the Korean company’s supply chain, who have been speaking to DigiTimes.

One display manufacturer in China is said to be shipping approximately 10 million panels per month for Samsung’s entry-level and midrange devices.

According to DigiTimes:

The sources said that at present China-based panel maker BOE is shipping approximately 10 million panels a month to Samsung for its entry-level and midrange handsets.

Samsung also has panel supply for use in entry-level and midrange handsets from Tianma MIcro-electronics, Chunghwa Picture Tubes (CPT), AU Optronics (AUO), as well as high-end panel technology from Sharp and Japan Display in addition to supply from Samsung Display, added the sources.

Samsung’s biggest-selling smartphone this year will undoubtedly be the new Galaxy S4, which succeeds its hugely successful Galaxy S III. The device was announced back in March, and it’s set to launch later this month.

It will be the world’s first smartphone to ship with an eight-core Exynos 5 Octa chip, though most markets will get the quad-core Snapdragon 600 version initially.

In addition to the Galaxy S4, Samsung is expecting to launch a number of other successful devices this year, including a Galaxy Note III, the Galaxy S4 Mini, and new additions to its entry-level and midrange lineups.

• SourceDigiTimes