Posts

Foldable OLED shipments in 2Q reached 9.9 million units, doubling from 1Q and setting a new record.

/in /by

According to the “3Q24 Small OLED Display Market Track” published by UBI Research, OLED shipments for foldable phones in the second quarter of 2024 are expected to reach 9.94 million units, more than doubling compared to the first quarter. During this period, OLED shipments for foldable phones accounted for 5.2% of all OLED shipments for smartphones, marking the second-highest proportion ever.

UBI Research anticipates that OLED shipments for foldable phones will continue to grow in the second half of 2024, with total shipments expected to exceed 40 million units for the year. Furthermore, by 2028, OLED shipments for foldable phones are projected to make up 9.9% of total OLED shipments for smartphones.

While the share of OLED shipments for foldable phones remained in the 5% range in the second quarter of 2024, their sales share exceeded 16.3%. This sales share is expected to expand to 27.5% by 2028.

▶Small OLED Display Quarterly Market Track Sample

International Business Conference: 2024 OLED Korea & 2024 eXtended Reality Korea will be held in parallel!

/in /by

UBI Research, a display specialist research company, will hold the international business conferences OLED Korea and eXtended Reality Korea in parallel at The-K Hotel in Yangjae, Seoul from March 27 to 29, 2024. This event is expected to be an opportunity for people from companies, academia, and research institutes related to the display industry around the world to attend, exchange the best information, and form a global network.

eXtended Reality Korea is the first XR industry-related business conference held by UBI Research and will cover trends and outlook on micro display, XR Hardware/Software, materials, equipment, etc.

This event aims to provide attendees with the opportunity to deeply explore the display and XR areas through a comprehensive program including tutorials, keynote presentations, and panel discussions.

The tutorial on March 27th will feature presentations on the future of XR, micro LED display technology, and key technologies to realize the next generation OLED display.

In addition, keynote presentations by ▲UBI Research, ▲Samsung Display, ▲LG Display, ▲Hyundai Mobis, and ▲Fortell Games are scheduled for the conference to be held on March 28th and 29th. Choong-Hoon Yi, CEO of UBI Research, will give a presentation on “OLED and XR industry outlook.” We will present the overall OLED industry, including OLED for IT, and the micro OLED industry that will be applied to MR equipment.

Samsung Display plans to introduce SDC’s roadmap for expanding the AR/VR market based on SDC’s plan to overcome technical obstacles in ultra-high-resolution displays under the title “AR/VR Development Strategy for Future Display.”

Under the theme of “Life with OLED,” LG Display will examine the field of OLED displays applied in daily life and present the continuous evolution and benefits of OLED technology.

Under the theme of “Automotive Display / HUD Trend and Future Display,” Hyundai Mobis presents trends and requirements for automotive displays, from Pillar To Pillar displays to Rollable displays, predicts future automotive displays, and announces development strategies.

Lastly, Fortell Games will discuss the topic of “Next-Gen Mixed Reality: New Horizons for Spatial Computing”, analyzing the latest developments in mixed reality technology and their impact on the future of the gaming industry.

In addition, it will be run by a total of 34 domestic and foreign speakers and programs, including AR/VR development and technology, automotive displays, OLED industry, backplane technology, and MicroLED display development.

Because it is a parallel event, attendees can attend both events even if they register for one event, and registration is possible at a special discount price during the early bird period until February 29th.

Detailed information can be found on the website (https://oledkoreaconference.com/, https://extendedrealitykorea.com/).

Aren’t you curious about the future of OLED and micro displays? OLED Korea and eXtended Reality Korea will provide the answer!

/in /by

Korea maintains a leading position in the IT product and display markets. OLED Korea is an International Business Conference created to serve as a bridge between the global OLED industry so that OLED can replace LCD. This conference, with the participation of approximately 150 to 200 industry experts, has established itself as a key location to gauge the direction of the global OLED industry along with Korea’s OLED.

eXtended Reality Korea is an International Business Conference held for the first time. OLED is becoming a key display for XR displays, and Korea’s micro display development direction will be the key to determining the future of the XR industry.

OLED Korea and eXtended Reality Korea will be held as parallel events at The K Hotel in Yangjae, Seoul from March 27 to 29, 2024. This event consists of presentations and panel discussions by top experts in related industries around the world, focusing on Samsung and LG. Since it is a parallel event, you can attend both events even if you register at one location.

OLED Korea and eXtended Reality Korea will be business exchanges that provide answers and the best global network for companies to succeed in Korea’s OLED industry and XR industry.

OLED Korea : https://oledkoreaconference.com/

eXtended Reality Korea : https://extendedrealitykorea.com/

In 2028, the OLED emitting material market is expected to reach $2.43 billion with an average annual growth rate of 5.8%

/in /by

According to the ‘4Q23_Quarterly OLED Emitting Material Market Tracker’ recently published by UBI Research, the market for emitting materials used in OLED is forecasted to grow from $1.84 billion in 2023 to $2.43 billion in 2028, with an average annual growth rate of 5.8%.

By country, Korean panel companies’ material purchases are expected to grow at an average annual growth rate of 4.2% from $1.11 billion in 2023 to $1.36 billion in 2028, and Chinese’ material purchases are expected to increase from $730 million in 2023 to $1.07 billion in 2028.

As forecasted, the material purchase ratio by country in 2028 will be 56% in Korea and 44% in China. However, Chinese panel companies are mainly mass producing panels for Chinese domestic use and white boxes, so even if panel shipments increase in the future, low-priced materials will be used. So, there is a possibility that the expansion of China’s emitting material market will be reduced further than currently expected.

Lastly, UBI Research predicted that Samsung Display’s purchase of emitting materials in 2028 will reach $810 million, LG Display’s will reach $550 million, and BOE will reach $440 million.

OLED emitting material market

OLED emitting material market

▶ 4Q23 OLED Emitting Material Market Track Sample Download

OLED shipments for smartphones, China will reverse in 2025

/in /by

According to the 3rd quarter OLED Market Track published by UBI Research, China’s OLED shipments for smartphones (including foldable phones) are expected to surpass Korea in 2025.

However, since OLEDs made by Chinese companies are cheaper than Korean products, it is expected that Korea will dominate in terms of sales until 2027.

OLEDs produced by Korean display makers are of excellent quality and will maintain their superiority in sales for the time being.

However, Chinese display makers, based on the huge domestic market and government support, are also improving in quality and knocking on the market with cost-effectiveness, so sales are expected to reverse after 2028 as well.

In order for Korea to maintain its display industry, it is necessary to expand the OLED market for IT and TV, which is difficult for Chinese companies to enter the market. In addition, it is time to make a quick transition to the micro display industry for XR, which is emerging as a new market.

Although China’s investment is ahead of the micro display, it is an area where Korean displays can easily establish a foothold because it requires a precision process similar to that of semiconductors.

Display companies were in a situation where they were chasing Korean companies, but now we have to humbly accept that Korean display companies are in a situation where they have to catch up with Chinese companies.

▶Small OLED Display Quarterly Market Track Sample

[IMID 2023] OLED exhibited by Samsung Display and LG Display

/in /by

At ‘IMID 2023’ held in BEXCO, Busan on August 22, Samsung Display and LG Display exhibited a number of OLED products.

First, in ‘IMID 2023’, Samsung Display introduced 77-inch QD-OLED and light field display ‘2D↔3D Display’, ‘Slidable Flex Solo’ and ‘Slidable Flex Duet’, ‘Rollable Flex’, ‘Flex G’, ‘Flex It exhibited foldable and sliderable products such as ‘S’ and ‘Flex Note’. Products other than ‘2D↔3D Display’ were exhibited at ‘K-Display 2023’ held last week, and the exhibition scale was smaller than ‘K-Display 2023’.

Samsung Display 2D↔3D Display

Samsung Display 2D↔3D Display

Samsung DIsplay Light Field Display

Samsung DIsplay Light Field Display

The size of the ‘2D↔3D Display’ exhibited by Samsung Display was 16 inches, the panel resolution was 3840×2400, and eyetracking technology was inserted to support a 3D viewing angle of more than 40°.

LG Display’s 77-inch 8K OLED with ‘META Technology’ applied, 45-inch and 27-inch gaming OLED, ‘34” Full Dashboard OLED’, ‘18” Rollable OLED’, ‘15.6” Light Field Display’, ‘0.42” OLEDoS’ exhibited.

LG Display Rollable OLED

LG Display Rollable OLED

The 18-inch rollable OLED, which LG Display unveiled for the first time in Korea, realized a brighter screen by applying a tandem element structure, and passed more than 100,000 rolling tests. The resolution of the ‘18” Rollable OLED’ is 2560×1440, the brightness is 1,000nits, the rolling radius is 20R, and the cover window material is TPU (Thermoplastic Poly Urethane). An official from LG Display said, “There is no plan to mass-produce 18-inch rollable OLED yet, and the rolling radius will be between 5 and 10R when mass-producing actual products.”

‘0.42” OLEDoS (OLED on silicon)’, an ultra-high resolution product with 3500ppi, was the same as the product exhibited at ‘K-Display 2023’. It is a product that combines the optical system of LetinAR, a domestic optical module developer, with the panel of LG Display.

LG디스플레이 부스

LG Display “A significant portion of the panel inventory adjustment that has been ongoing since last year is expected to turn profitable in the 4th quarter”

/in /by
LG Display’s 2Q 2023 Performance Summary

LG Display’s 2Q 2023 Performance Summary

In a conference call on LG Display’s Q2 2023 earnings announcement held on the 26th, LG Display CFO Seong-Hyeon Kim announced, “As a significant portion of panel inventory adjustments have been made, a turnaround is expected in the fourth quarter of this year.”

Since last year, intensive inventory adjustments in downstream industries have continued, centering on TV and IT products, and panel inventory levels across the industry ecosystem have been declining. In the second quarter, demand for mid- to large-sized panels, including OLED TVs, increased and shipments expanded. Compared to the previous quarter, shipment area increased by 11% and sales increased by 7%.

Sales by product (based on sales) in the second quarter were 24% for TV panels, 42% for IT panels (monitors, laptops, tablet PCs, etc.), 23% for mobile panels and other products, and 11% for automobile panels.

LG Display plans to continue to promote ‘advanced business structure’ centered on ‘order-based business’ and expand the proportion of OLED business. It plans to further increase the proportion of OLED and business competitiveness in all large- and small- and medium-sized products. This year, OLED sales are expected to exceed 50%.

In the small and medium-sized OLED sector, it plans to make efforts to expand mobile product shipments based on the expanded production capacity, while further solidifying its leadership in IT OLED technology and preparing for mass production and supply systems in 2024 without a hitch. The automotive display business plans to focus on increasing sales and order receipts based on various and differentiated technological competitiveness that encompasses tandem OLED and high-end LCD.

Kim Seong-hyun, CFO of LG Display, said, “It is judged that the inventory adjustment of downstream industries, which has been ongoing since last year, has progressed considerably since the first half of the year.” Thanks to the expansion of order-based business performance, such as increased shipments, we expect a turnaround in the fourth quarter.”

LG Display announced that it recorded sales of KRW 4,738.6 billion and operating loss of KRW 881.5 billion in the second quarter of 2023.

▶ 2023 Medium and Large OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

Foldable OLED shipments will expand to 61 million units in 2027, and the UTG market will also grow more than three times

/in /by

According to the ‘2023 OLED Components and Materials Report’ recently published by UBI Research (www.ubiresearch.com), a company specializing in OLED market research, In 2023, foldable OLED shipments are expected to record 22 million units, and expand to 61 million units in 2027 at an average annual growth rate of 29%.

Ultra Thin Glass market forecast

Ultra Thin Glass market forecast

As the foldable market expands, the market for foldable cover windows is also expected to expand. The market for foldable cover windows is expected to expand from $410 million in 2023 to $840 million in 2027.

However, since Samsung Display plans to mass-produce foldable OLEDs only with UTG in the future, and BOE, TCL CSOT, and Visionox are also developing foldable OLEDs with UTG applied, the cover window market for foldable phones is expected to be led by UTG (UItra thin glass) in the future, and the share of colorless PI will continue to decline.

The UTG market is expected to grow from $240 million in 2023 to $740 million in 2027, and the colorless PI market is expected to shrink from $170 million in 2023 to $95 million in 2027.

Samsung Electronics, a leader in foldable phones, has applied UTG (Ultra thin glass) for cover windows to all foldable phones released since the ‘Galaxy Z Fold2’. Samsung Electronics processes and uses Corning’s glass, and Samsung Display is supplied with Schott’s glass.

Recently, Chinese companies that have adopted colorless PI as a cover window due to lack of technology are also increasing the use of UTG.

Motorola released clam-shell type ‘Razr 40’ and ‘Razr 40 Ultra’ in June. The panel supplier for both products is TCL CSOT, and Schott’s UTG is processed and supplied by SEED(赛德) for the cover window. Among them, the ‘Razr 40 Ultra’ has a larger external display of 3.6 inches compared to the existing foldable phone, similar to the ‘Galaxy Z Flip 5’ to be released by Samsung Electronics.

Oppo is preparing to release a 6.8-inch clam-shell type and an 8.1-inch book type foldable phone. All of Oppo’s new foldable OLED panels will be supplied by BOE, and TOKEN will process and supply Schott’s UTG.

Huawei released the successor to the Mate series, the Mate X3, in April. The foldable OLED panel of ‘Mate X3’ is supplied by BOE and Visionox, and the cover window is supplied with KOLON’s colorless PI coated by DNP. Huawei was developing UTG for cover windows, but adopted colorless PI due to performance issues.

The ‘2023 OLED Components and Materials Report’ published this time analyzes the development and business status of foldable/rollable OLED by set and panel companies, the latest OLED development status such as MLA (Micro lens array), QD materials, oxide TFT, and encapsulation technology, OLED Analysis of panel makers’ mass production capa and market outlook for major parts and materials were discussed.

▶ 2023 OLED Components and Materials Report Sample Download

Tianma’s OLED shipments for smartphones were second only to BOE among Chinese makers

/in /by
TIANMA

TIANMA

It was found that Tianma, a Chinese OLED panel supplier, supplied the second most OLED panels for smartphones after BOE in the first quarter of 2023. In the meantime, among Chinese companies, Visionox has always been in second place after BOE in OLED shipments for smartphones, but it gave way to Tianma for the first time in this first quarter.

Tianma’s major customers include Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo, Honor, and Lenovo. It is analyzed that one of the reasons for Tianma’s increase in OLED shipments is that it brought some of TCL CSOT’s shipments to Xiaomi.

Thanks to orders from Xiaomi, Tianma’s panel shipments have soared since the fourth quarter of last year. Tianma’s OLED panel shipments for smartphones in the fourth quarter of 2022 increased by about 3 times compared to the previous quarter, and in the first quarter of 2023, OLED panel shipments for smartphones reached 8.5 million units, an increase of 430% compared to the same quarter of the previous year.

If this atmosphere continues, it is analyzed that there is a possibility that Tianma will overtake Visionox and produce the second largest number of OLED panels for smartphones after BOE in China for the first time this year.

▶ China Trend Report Inquiry

OLED emitting materials market in 2027 expected to reach US$ 2.59 billion with an average annual growth rate of 7.7%

/in /by

According to the ‘2023 OLED Emitting Material Report’ recently published by UBI Research, the total emitting material market is expected to reach US$ 2.59 billion in 2027 with an average annual growth rate of 7.7% from US$ 1.92 billion in 2023.

total emitting material market

total emitting material market

Analyst Yoon Daejeong of UBI Research said, “The small OLED material market is expected to grow at an average annual growth rate of 2.5% from 2023 to US$ 1.61 billion in 2027. And in 2027, Samsung Display’s purchase of small OLED materials is expected to be US$ 560 million, BOE US$ 430 million, and LG Display US$ 200 million.” and “the small OLED material market will change depending on how much the foldable OLED market replaces the sharp decline in rigid OLED shipments for smartphones.

Analyst Yoon continued, “As the shipments of LG Display’s WOLED and Samsung Display’s QD-OLED are expected to be 12 million units and 3 million units, respectively, in the large OLED material market in 2027, the purchase amount of emitting materials is also expected to be US$ 430 million and US$ 140 million, respectively”

Meanwhile, the report predicted that by OLED method in 2027, RGB OLED would occupy the largest share at 66.6%, followed by WOLED at 16.5%, RGB 2stack OLED at 11.4%, and QD-OLED at 5.5%.

▶ 2023 OLED Emitting Material Report Sample Download

Samsung Display Signs MOU with Ferrari, Enters ‘Samsung OLED’ in Supercars

/in /by

Samsung Display will supply state-of-the-art OLEDs to the supercar Ferrari. Samsung Display announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ferrari at the Asan Campus on the 11th to develop display solutions to be installed in Ferrari’s next-generation car models. The signing ceremony was attended by Choi Joo-seon, president of Samsung Display, and Benedetto Vigna, CEO of Ferrari.

According to this MOU, Samsung Display will develop a luxurious and innovative automotive display solution suitable for a luxury supercar brand based on the world’s best OLED technology and support Ferrari’s digital transformation, which is currently speeding up.

Samsung Display, which has led the technology transition in the premium smartphone market from LCD to OLED over the past decade, is actively targeting the automotive display market based on its unrivaled OLED technology accumulated over a long period of time.

In particular, the ‘New Digital Cockpit’ was introduced for the first time at the last ‘CES 2023’. The 34-inch display mounted on the ‘New Digital Cockpit’ is equipped with bendable technology that bends left and right at 700R, and provides the driver with an optimal viewing distance to enhance concentration.

Samsung Display said, “Samsung OLED is a technology that can satisfy the needs of automobile manufacturers who want innovative and luxurious designs because it has excellent design scalability with a light and slim structure and thin bezel, and can express perfect black and deep contrast.” and “Especially, OLED’s low-power characteristics will increase the efficiency of automobiles and act as a more attractive factor.”

Regarding the agreement, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Viña said, “Ferrari is a luxury company that provides a special experience, not just a means of transportation.” and “We expect to maximize the value and completeness of Ferrari’s next-generation products through strategic cooperation with Samsung Display, which makes the best OLED,” he said.

Choi Ju-seon, president of Samsung Display, said, “Based on OLED technology that has been intensively developed over a long period of time, we will introduce a cutting-edge display solution suitable for ‘Ferrari’.” And “We plan to strengthen our OLED business for automobiles in cooperation with leading global automobile companies, including Ferrari, in the future,” he said.

▶ 2023 Medium and Large OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

JOLED filed for civil rehabilitation due to financing problems, withdraws from OLED business

/in /by
JOLED

JOLED

JOLED filed for civil rehabilitation with the Tokyo District Court due to financing problems. As JOLED withdraws from the OLED business, it will close two factories in Japan and lay off about 280 employees. JOLED’s total debt is $257 million.

JOLED was born in 2015 by merging the OLED business units of Panasonic and Sony with the goal of accelerating the development and commercialization of mass production of OLED displays. However, due to a global semiconductor supply shortage, weak display demand, and extreme price competition, JOLED’s situation worsened and profitability was sluggish, so it filed for civil rehabilitation.

JOLED entered into an agreement with JDI(Japan Display Inc.) to support the revitalization of its technology development business at the same time as filing for bankruptcy. JDI said it has agreed to acquire JOLED’s technology development team and intellectual property, which consists of approximately 100 employees, to expand and accelerate its growth.

JOLED raised funds by receiving investments from companies such as Denso, Toyota and Sumitomo Chemical in 2018, and entered into a capital partnership with TCL CSOT in 2020. However, JOLED’s liabilities exceeded its assets in March 2022, with its production lines closed until the spring of 2021 due to the impact of the coronavirus, and continuing losses due to a global chip shortage. JOLED, which can only produce mid-sized OLED panels, has been hit hard by the corona as it is unable to capitalize on growing demand in other sectors.

▶ 2023 Medium and Large OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

Samsung Display’s foldable OLED expected to exceed 50 million units in 2027

/in /by
Foldable OLED shipment ratio forecast

Foldable OLED shipment ratio forecast

According to the ‘2023 Small OLED Display Annual Report’ recently published by UBI Research, Samsung Display’s OLED shipments for foldable phones are expected to reach 50.9 million units in 2027 with an average annual growth rate of 28.1% from 18.9 million units in 2023.

According to the report, Samsung Display’s foldable OLED shipments in 2022 were analyzed to be 12.6 million units, accounting for 85.1% of global foldable OLED shipments in 2022. BOE, TCL CSOT, and Visionox mass-produced some foldable OLEDs, but Samsung Display led the foldable OLED market.

It is expected that Samsung Display will continue to dominate the foldable OLED market in the future. It seems difficult for TCL CSOT and Visionox to record annual shipments of more than 1 million units by 2027, and unless LG Display also secures a customer, the time for mass production of foldable phone panels is unclear.

Lastly, the report forecasted global OLED shipments for foldable phones to be 61.4 million units in 2027, with Samsung Display expected to account for 82.9% of the market with 50.9 million units and BOE with 9.6 million units and 15.7%.

▶ 2023 Small OLED Display Annual Report Sample Download

The groundbreaking ceremony for the BOE B20 line will be held on February 10, 2023.

/in /by
BOE

BOE

BOE’s 6G LTPS LCD line, B20, will hold a groundbreaking ceremony in Beijing on February 10th.

The capacity of the B20 line is 45K per month, and it is mainly based on the LTPS TFT process, but since an oxide TFT line with a capacity of about 15K per month is also built, it is expected that oxide TFT technology will be applied to some products.

The approximate schedule is that the construction of the plant will be completed in the third quarter of 2024, and equipment will be brought in in the fourth quarter of 2024. It is expected that the module line will utilize existing lines from factories in Qingdao, Chongqing, and Chengdu.

Although B20 is an LCD line, investment in OLED evaporators is also being considered, so the possibility of using it as an OLED line is predicted in the future.

▶ AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5 Sample Download

Samsung Display Develops the World’s First Large-sized, Touch-Integrated OLED Display

/in /by
Applying touch-integrated panels in place of plastic touch film to boost Samsung Display’s competitiveness with simplified design and productivity

Applying touch-integrated panels in place of plastic touch film to boost Samsung Display’s competitiveness with simplified design and productivity

Samsung Display today announced the successful development of the world’s first large-sized OCTA (On-Cell Touch AMOLED) technology, expanding the technology’s application from smartphone OLED to the laptop OLED panel, with full-scale mass production starting in January.

Samsung Display developed OCTA, the world’s first touch-integrated OLED, for smartphones back in 2010. It is a technology that embeds the touch sensor inside the panel instead of attaching a TSP (Touch Screen Panel) film to recognize touch action on the panel surface. The panel is much friendlier to the environment because it doesn’t need additional plastic film for touch. Moreover, the thickness and the weight of the panel are reduced with a simplified structure.

Samsung display touch-Integrated OLED Display

Samsung display touch-Integrated OLED Display

Samsung Display explained that touch film generally accounts for 6-11 percent of the total panel thickness and that the thinner the panel, the better the design expandability and portability of the product. Also, the company has been focusing on developing large-sized OCTA technology as the recent demand for laptops with touchscreen functions has increased with the expansion of the OLED laptop market.

Samsung display touch-Integrated OLED Display

Samsung display touch-Integrated OLED Display

“The difficulty level of the touch-integrated technology surges greatly as the display area increases, which leads to the increased number of touch sensors required,” said Hojung Lee, Head of Product Planning Team for Small and Medium-sized Display Division at Samsung Display. “We were able to achieve the natural feel and touch responsiveness for larger displays through the development of new materials and process technologies.”

Samsung Display plans to first apply its large-sized OCTA technology to Samsung Electronics’ new high-end Galaxy Book model and expects to complement a chic design with high portability. In addition, Samsung Display showcases the panel performance of its products with display features 16:10 ratio, 120-Hz refresh rate and 3K resolution.

▶ AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5 Sample Download

Fold, extend… Foldable IT device trends seen through exhibition trends

/in /by

As panel makers have recently accelerated the development of foldable OLEDs, a variety of products, including foldable phones, foldable tablet PCs, and foldable laptops, are being exhibited. We look at the development trend based on the exhibited products of panel makers.

‘Flex Hybrid’ and ‘Slidable Flex Duet’ exhibited by Samsung Display

‘Flex Hybrid’ and ‘Slidable Flex Duet’ exhibited by Samsung Display

At CES 2023, which was held in January, Samsung Display, a leader in foldable displays, exhibited the ‘Flex Hybrid’, a combination of foldable and slider, and the ‘Slidable Flex Solo’, which extends on one side and, the ‘Slidable Flex Duo’, which extends on both sides. In the ‘Flex Hybrid’, the screen expands from the default 8 inches to 10.5 inches when the folded screen is unfolded, and to 12.4 inches when the right side is extended. Sliderable products can expand the screen from the basic 13 to 14 inches to 17 inches.

Prior to this, Samsung Display had exhibited S-type and G-type, double-folding ‘Flex S’ and ‘Flex G’, and ‘Slidable Wide’ that extends outward in 2022, and all three products had a maximum size of 12.4 inches. The size of the prototypes is 12.4 inches, which is the same as Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Tab S8+. When mass-producing actual products, it is expected that mass-production will be carried out according to the needs of set makers.

Foldable OLED for laptops from Samsung Display, LG Display, and BOE

Foldable OLED for laptops from Samsung Display, LG Display, and BOE

In addition to tablet PCs, foldable laptops are also being developed. Samsung Display exhibited the 17.3-inch foldable OLED ‘Flex Note’ for laptops at IMID 2022 and SID 2022. Originally, Samsung Display was expected to supply this 17.3-inch foldable OLED to Samsung Electronics last year, but the schedule was delayed to this year.

LG Display is also developing a foldable OLED for 17.3-inch laptops. LG Display exhibited a 17.3-inch ‘Foldable OLED Laptop’ with an improved folding radius of 1.5R at IMID 2022. LG Display is currently developing foldable OLED for laptops with the goal of supplying HP.

BOE of China is also developing foldable OLED for IT. BOE exhibited a 12.3-inch foldable OLED for tablet PCs that double-folds into an S-type at SID 2022 in May of last year. It also unveiled a foldable OLED for 17.3-inch laptops, and this panel was mounted on Asus’s ‘ZenBook 17 Fold’ released in 2022.

Samsung Display, LG Display, and BOE are all developing foldable OLEDs for notebooks in the same size and resolution. When full-scale mass production begins, competition for panel supply between the three companies is expected to be fierce.

▶ AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5 Sample Download

2023 Gram for the first time to be equipped with OLED, applied Samsung Display’s rigid OLED

/in /by
Gram by LG Electronics

Gram by LG Electronics

Samsung Display’s rigid OLED panel is applied to Gram Style and Gram Ultraslim, the new 2023 Gram products to be released by LG Electronics. Samsung Display is producing rigid OLEDs for smartphones and IT products in the A2 line. This is the first time for Samsung Display to supply OLED panels to LG Electronics.

The representative product, Gram Style (model name: 16Z90RS, 14Z90RS), has an aurora white color that changes color depending on the angle and direction of light and Gorilla Glass material applied to the exterior. The space below the keyboard is equipped with a hidden touchpad that only lights up when touched.

Gram Style consists of two types, 14 and 16 type. The 16-inch adopts a 16-inch WQHD+ (3200×2000) OLED display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and meets the standard color gamut DCI-P3 of the Digital Cinema Initiatives (DCI). AGLR (Anti-Glare & Low Reflection), which reduces light reflection and glare, is applied to the panel.

One 15.6-inch Gram Ultraslim has been released, with a resolution of FHD (1920×1080), an ultra-light weight of 998g, and a thin thickness of 10.99 mm, making it the lightest and thinnest ever among the Gram series.

LG Electronics applied only IPS panels to the previous Gram series, but applied OLED panels for the first time starting with this new product. It is analyzed that LG Electronics adopted OLED for reasons such as not only the excellent picture quality and immersion of OLED, but also the ability to use proven Samsung Display panels and a price that is not significantly higher than that of IPS. In addition, from the standpoint of Samsung Display, it is an opportunity to recover the utilization rate of the A2 line, which has been sluggish due to China’s low-price offensive, and to secure new customers.

▶ AMOLED Manufacturing Process Report Ver.5 Sample Download

[CES 2023] TCL CSOT 65″ 8K Inkjet Printing OLED

/in /by

#Inkjetprinting #TCLCSOT #CES2023

▶2023 OLED KOREA
https://oledkoreaconference.com

▶ UBI Research website
https://ubiresearch.com/en/

▶If you are curious about the latest news related to OLED?
https://en.olednet.com/

▶Business, display report inquiry
marketing@ubiresearch.com
+82-2-577-4391

[CES 2023] LG Electronics OLED

/in /by

#LGelectronics #OLED #CES2023

▶2023 OLED KOREA
https://oledkoreaconference.com

▶ UBI Research website
https://ubiresearch.com/en/

▶If you are curious about the latest news related to OLED?
https://en.olednet.com/

▶Business, display report inquiry
marketing@ubiresearch.com
+82-2-577-4391

Among the 234 OLED smartphone models released in 2022, China occupied 86.3% of the market with 202

/in /by
OLED smartphone models released in 2022

OLED smartphone models released in 2022

Among a total of 234 OLED smartphones released in 2022, 202 were released in China, accounting for 86.3% of the market. On the other hand, Korea released 39 products in 2020 and 20 in 2021, followed by only 11 products in 2022, accounting for 4.7% of the market. Currently, Samsung Electronics is the only company that releases smartphones in Korea. It was followed by the United States with 8 and Taiwan with 6.

OLED smartphone sizes released in 2022

OLED smartphone sizes released in 2022

By size, 6-inch products accounted for 95.3% of the market with 223 products, establishing themselves as the mainstream. Among the 6-inch products, 6.5-inch or larger products accounted for 75.8% of the market, and products smaller than 6.5-inch products accounted for 24.2% of the market share. Following the 6-inch product, seven 7-inch products, three 8-inch products, and one 5-inch product were released. Except for Vivo’s ‘X Note’ products, all products with a screen size of 7 inches or larger were foldable products, and the largest foldable product was Vivo’s ‘X Fold’.

By display design, 193 punch hole models accounted for 82.5%, followed by 21 notch models, 12 narrow-bezel models, and 8 under display camera (UDC) models. The share of the punch hole model increased by 30% in two years, and the share of the notch model decreased by 25%.

Lastly, in display area (DA), the ratio of display to smartphone size, 196 products belonging to 80-90% occupied 83.8% of the market, and 38 products with 90% or more occupied 16.2% of the market. The average D.A. of OLED smartphones released in 2022 is 87.1%, and has been steadily rising at an average annual rate of 1.2% since 2018. The products with the highest D.A were Honor’s ‘Magic4’ and ZTE’s ‘Axon 40 Ultra’ with 93.1% D.A.

▶ 2022 Small OLED Display Semi-Annual Report Sample Download

BOE is reviewing investment in a module line for certification evaluation for Apple iPhone

/in /by

It was found that BOE is considering investing in the golden line of modules for Apple’s iPhone at the B11 Mianyang plant. The module golden line invested this time is a line for iPhone certification evaluation, and the investment is expected to be confirmed in early 2023. Since evaluation and verification take a lot of time, it is analyzed that the verification line is invested first before the full-scale module line investment. The line is expected to be used for verification when investing in new iPhone 15 or iPhone 16 models.

After investing in module lines for verification and evaluation in 2023, it was found that BOE is preparing additional investment plans for between 14 and 20 Apple-oriented module lines at the B11 Mianyang plant. If BOE’s 20 module lines are completed, the annual volume of iPhone modules that BOE can produce is about 120 million units. However, since Apple’s demand is less than this and there are variables in negotiations with Apple, the investment is likely to proceed gradually.

BOE’s total supply of iPhones to Apple in 2022 is expected to be around 30 million units. BOE is supplying Apple with panels for the iPhone 12, 13, and 14 basic models, and is expected to supply panels for the iPhone 15 basic models to be released in 2023. It is not yet decided whether BOE will supply panels for the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 max model.

▶ China Trend Report Inquiry

OLED materials and components market for mobile devices is expected to grow by US$16.73 billion in 2027 with an average annual growth rate of 4.6%

/in /by
OLED materials and components market for mobile devices

OLED materials and components market for mobile devices

According to UBI Research’s ‘4Q22 AMOLED Materials and Components Market Track’, which predicts 19 major components such as TFT, encapsulation, touch sensor, adhesive, and cover window, the mobile device materials market is expected to grow by US$13.91 billion by 2023, with an average annual growth rate of US$16.73 billion.

It is predicted that the market for flexible OLED materials, including foldable OLEDs, will continue to maintain more than 80% of the market and reach more than 90% from 2025. The Rigid OLED material market is expected to fall by 13.5% annually from US$1.89 billion in 2023, reaching US$1.07 billion by 2027. This is because Samsung Display’s rigid OLED shipments, which are the majority of rigid OLED shipments, are expected to continue to decline from 130 million units in 2023.

The materials market for flexible OLEDs and foldable OLEDs is expected to reach US$15.66 billion by 2027 with an annual growth rate of 7% from US$12.02 billion in 2023. This figure reflects 80 million units of Samsung Display’s expected shipment of foldable OLEDs in 2027.

By country, Korea’s materials purchases are expected to continue to show more than 50% of the market share. Korea’s purchases of major materials are expected to reach US$8.79 billion by 2027 with an annual average growth rate of 3.2 percent from US$7.5 billion in 2023. China’s purchases of major materials are expected to reach US$7.94 billion in 2027 with an annual average growth rate of 6.2%.

▶4Q22 AMOLED Materials and Components Market Track

Shipments of Medium and Large OLEDs Over 10 inches Will Expand to 69.5 Million Units by 2027

/in /by

According to the “4Q22 Medium & Large OLED Display Market Track,” which combines the performance and prospects of OLEDs over 10 inches at UBI Research, medium and large OLEDs are expected to expand from 26.1 million in 2022 to 69.5 million in 2027.

It is predicted that OLED for TVs will lead the mid- to large-sized OLED market based on sales by 2027. Due to the global economic downturn, expected shipments in the future decreased from the previous quarter, but a total of 14.8 million units are expected to be shipped in 2027 at an annual average growth rate of 11.2%, recording sales of $9.18 billion. This is 62.8% of the total sales of medium and large OLEDs in 2027.

It is expected that OLED markets for IT such as laptop, tablet PC, and monitor will gradually bloom from 2024. The OLED market for IT is expected to be led by OLED for laptop, and 19.7 million units are expected to be shipped by 2027 with an annual average growth rate of 22.9%. In 2024, Apple’s OLED for iPads will be released in full-scale, and OLED markets for tablet PCs will expand. Although OLED shipments for tablet PCs are expected to be 2 million units in 2023, they are expected to be 7.2 million units in 2024 and 23.3 million units in 2027. The average annual growth rate from 2023 is 85.7%.

OLED for vehicles is also expected to grow at an annual average rate of 54.7% from 2022, and the market is expected to continue to expand.

Shipment ratio forecast by application

Shipment ratio forecast by application

▶ 4Q22 Medium & Large OLED Display Market Track Sample Download

In 2027, OLED emitting material market is expected to grow 8.6% annually and is expected to reach US$2.75 billion

/in , /by

According to the ‘4Q22 OLED Emitting Material Market Track’ recently published by UBI Research, global panel companies’ purchase of OLED emitting materials in the third quarter of 2022 amounted to US$4.96 billion. This is an increase of 20.9% compared to the previous quarter and 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

In the third quarter of 2022, Samsung Display’s rigid OLED shipment decreased to less than 20 million units, and the market for rigid OLED emitting materials decreased, but the supply of new panels by panel companies increased for iPhone 14 series. It was analyzed that the expansion of the use of materials with deuterium replacement technology and the rise in the exchange rate affected the increase in purchase amount.

UBI Research predicted that the overall emitting material market will grow from US$1.82 billion in 2022 to US$2.75 billion in 2027 with an average annual growth rate of 8.6%.

OLED emitting material market forecast

OLED emitting material market forecast

Yoon Dae-jeong, an analyst at UBI Research, said, “In the small OLED material market, Samsung Display’s shipments of rigid OLEDs will continue to decline, but foldable OLEDs will expand to 80 million units by 2027, and purchases of emitting materials are expected to be US$ 680 million by 2027. In addition, BOE and LG Display’s purchases of emitting materials are expected to be US$ 380 million and US$ 230 million, respectively, in 2027.” He added, “As shipments of LG Display’s WOLED and Samsung Display’s QD-OLED are expected to be in the mid-12 million and early 2 million units respectively in the large OLED material market in 2027, purchases of emitting materials are also expected to be US$4.2 billion and $13 billion, respectively.” In this report, RGB OLED is expected to account for the largest share with 69.1% by OLED deposition method in 2027, and WOLED is expected to account for 15.2%, RGB 2stack OLED 11.1%, and QD-OLED 4.6%.

▶ 4Q22 OLED Emitting Material Market Track Sample Download

Black Friday Ends, Some Premium TV Prices Begin to Recover

/in /by
Premium TV prices

Premium TV prices

According to information confirmed on December 1st, Samsung Electronics and Sony’s premium TV product prices have mostly recovered from the price drop between October and November due to Black Friday and the World Cup in Qatar. This is the first time that prices have recovered as a whole in the premium TV market in 2022. LG Electronics’ OLED TVs generally maintained their prices and some products recovered their prices.

Samsung Electronics’ Neo QLED products have recovered at least $100 to the maximum of $500, reaching the price range in October. However, the price of the 65-inch and 75-inch Neo QLED Q85B entry-level model and the Q95B high-end model maintained the previously reduced price. The reason for maintaining the price is that Samsung’s marketing point is to maintain the sales volume of the popular Neo QLED TV product line. Samsung’s QD-OLED TV, S95B, recovered the price by $250 for 55 inches and by $200 for 65 inches.

Sony’s products increased in price for all products except for 8K high-end products. The price of X95K, a Mini LED TV model, increased by an average of $233, and WOLED TVs, A80K and A90K, recovered from a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $300. The price of A95K, a QD-OLED TV that receives panels from Samsung Display, increased by $300 for 55 inches and $200 for 65 inches.

Unlike Samsung Electronics and Sony, LG Electronics’ OLED TV products mostly maintained their price range between October and November. The price of the overall OLED TV products was the same as in November, but the price of the low-end OLED TV model A2 series 65 inches rose by $100, the mid-range OLED TV model C2 series 42 inches by $100, 77 inches by $200, and 83 inches by $500. The high-end model, the G2 series 77-inch price rose by $200.

In the 55-inch and 65-inch markets, most of LG Electronics’ products maintained their prices, while Samsung Electronics mostly recovered their prices. Attention is focusing on how Samsung Electronics will respond to LG Electronics’ OLED TVs, which are competitive by maintaining lower prices.

▶ 2022 Mid-Large OLED Display Semi-Annual Report Sample Download 

[China Trend Report] Further Delays to BOE Chengdu B16 Line Investment

/in , , /by
BOE

BOE

There is a possibility that the investment in BOE’s B16 8.7G OLED line located in Chengdu will be further delayed. A member of the State Assets Commission, Beijing Municipal government’s regulations on BOE Group is the cause.

BOE organized staff for the B16 line earlier this year and secured a site around the Chengdu B7 line. According to the existing plan, equipment orders for the B16 line were expected to be placed around the end of 2022, but the plan is being put on hold as the Beijing city government tries to regulate the BOE group from investing in places other than Beijing.

Initially, BOE planned to invest in the B16 line according to the investment circumstances of the display market and Korean panel makers. However, they were faced with a situation in which they had to proceed with the investment while considering the regulations of the Beijing city government.

BOE is currently preparing to invest in B20 besides B16. B20 is a 6G LTPS LCD line and will be located in Beijing. Some speculate that B20 was invested in advance to obtain B16 investment approval.

However, even if the investment in the B20 line is completed, the investment in the B16 line is not certain. Just as the Beijing government’s regulations have changed, the number of clerks in Beijing have changed. Many variables are expected for the future in the B16 investment.

▶ China Trend Report Inquiry

Jusung Engineering, 8th Generation Ultra-Thin OLED Encapsulation Equipment Technology Development to Preoccupy the Market and Achieve Localization [2022 Display General Workshop]

/in /by
Jusung Engineering, 8th Generation Ultra-Thin OLED Encapsulation Equipment Technology (2022 Display General Workshop)

Jusung Engineering, 8th Generation Ultra-Thin OLED Encapsulation Equipment Technology (2022 Display General Workshop)

At the “2022 Display General Workshop” held at Pyeongchang Phoenix Park from November 9 to 11, 2022, H&iruja presented a research project on the development of an ultra-low damage cluster sputter system for mass-production of small and medium-sized OLEDs for 8.5th generation substrates.

H&iruja said, “It is important to improve yield and increase productivity using large substrates due to the enlargement of the panel size of mobile devices and the expansion of application of OLED panels to IT devices such as notebooks, tablet PCs, and monitors.” Therefore, it is necessary to develop a cluster sputter that is advantageous for ultra-clean and low-damage.”

Jusung Engineering, 8th Generation Ultra-Thin OLED Encapsulation Equipment Technology (2022 Display General Workshop)

Jusung Engineering, 8th Generation Ultra-Thin OLED Encapsulation Equipment Technology (2022 Display General Workshop)

At the “2022 Display General Workshop” held at Pyeongchang Phoenix Park from November 9 to 11, 2022, H&iruja presented a research project on the development of an ultra-low damage cluster sputter system for mass-production of small and medium-sized OLEDs for 8.5th generation substrates.

H&iruja said, “It is important to improve yield and increase productivity using large substrates due to the enlargement of the panel size of mobile devices and the expansion of application of OLED panels to IT devices such as notebooks, tablet PCs, and monitors.” Therefore, it is necessary to develop a cluster sputter that is advantageous for ultra-clean and low-damage.”

Jusung Engineering, 8th Generation Ultra-Thin OLED Encapsulation Equipment Technology (2022 Display General Workshop)

Jusung Engineering, 8th Generation Ultra-Thin OLED Encapsulation Equipment Technology (2022 Display General Workshop)

In the second year, 2022, low-hydrogen composite membrane evaluation for 8th-generation half equipment is underway. Unit process evaluation using 6G half and 8G half equipment is scheduled for evaluation in November, and the details of the first detail task research in the second year include ESC mass production verification, 8G half ALC/CVD Hybrid production, and 8G TC/LL production.

Lastly, they concluded presentation by emphasizing that “The expected effect of the research project is to strengthen the global competitiveness of materials-parts-equipment companies and to secure source technologies, and major domestic companies also have the advantage of reducing their dependence on foreign equipment and improving their development speed. On a national level, it can be a good opportunity not only to stabilize employment and create jobs, but also to transform from an importing country of materials, parts, and equipment to an exporting country.”

H&iruja Secures Competitiveness in Display Market by Developing Large-Area Cluster Sputter [2022 Display General Workshop]

/in /by
H&iruja, Cluster Sputter (2022 Display General Workshop)

H&iruja, Cluster Sputter (2022 Display General Workshop)

At the “2022 Display General Workshop” held at Pyeongchang Phoenix Park from November 9 to 11, 2022, H&iruja presented a research project on the development of an ultra-low damage cluster sputter system for mass-production of small and medium-sized OLEDs for 8.5th generation substrates.

H&iruja said, “It is important to improve yield and increase productivity using large substrates due to the enlargement of the panel size of mobile devices and the expansion of application of OLED panels to IT devices such as notebooks, tablet PCs, and monitors.” Therefore, it is necessary to develop a cluster sputter that is advantageous for ultra-clean and low-damage.”

H&iruja, Cluster Sputter (2022 Display General Workshop)

H&iruja, Cluster Sputter (2022 Display General Workshop)

The task consists of the development of core parts in detail 1 and 2 and the development of equipment systems in detail 3. H&iruja supervises the development of 8.5 generation cluster sputter with ultra-clean and low-damage of 3 parts among them, and Samsung Display verifies the equipment performance of demand companies.

H&iruja, Cluster Sputter (2022 Display General Workshop)

H&iruja, Cluster Sputter (2022 Display General Workshop)

H&iruja said, “In 2021, the first year, the configuration of the 8.5 generation vacuum system was determined and the simulation to secure thin film uniformity and verification of the base technology were completed. In the second year, 2022, we are in the process of verifying unit technology through the production of a chamber for evaluating the cathode for the 8.5 generation and a test kit, and we are in the process of optimizing through temperature, plasma simulation, and thin film analysis.” And also announced, “In the future, we plan to develop 8.5-generation sputter equipment and secure sputter performance and reliability as tasks.”

Lastly, “If the development of large-area cluster sputter is completed while the global high-resolution small and medium-sized OLED market is expected to expand, it is possible to secure Korea’s unique display competitiveness. By solving the research task, we can build a solid SCM that leads to companies that demand materials, modules, equipment, and panels, and secure the stability of supply and demand for high-quality parts and equipment,” he concluded his presentation.

Blue Phosphorescent Material Will Be a Turning Point in the OLED Market [2022 Second Half OLED Seminar]

/in /by
UBI Research, Ripple effects of blue phosphorescent materials (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

UBI Research, Ripple effects of blue phosphorescent materials (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

At the ‘The Second Half of 2022 OLED Accounting Seminar’ held at the FKI in Yeouido on November 9, UBI Research CEO Choong-Hoon Lee predicted that the blue phosphorescent material, an essential condition for the expansion of the OLED market, would be developed in 2024 and commercialized in 2025.

CEO Lee said, “U.S. material company UDC is developing a blue phosphorescent material by mixing TADF with phosphorescent dopant. The lifespan and characteristics of the material are equivalent to those of fluorescent materials two years ago, and the development of blue phosphorescent materials can be a turning point in the OLED market due to the characteristics of mobile devices where power consumption is important.”

UBI Research, Ripple effects of blue phosphorescent materials (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

UBI Research, Ripple effects of blue phosphorescent materials (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

Currently, Samsung Display’s QD-OLED has a structure in which a blue light emitting layer is stacked three times. If a blue phosphorescent material is used instead of fluorescence for QD-OLED, it is possible to replace the existing structure in which the blue light emitting layer is stacked three times with a structure in which the blue light emitting layer is stacked once or twice.

CEO Lee explained, “It is possible to replace not only smartphones and smart watches, but also OLEDs for tablet PCs and automobiles under development with a tandem structure with a single structure. The development of blue phosphorescent materials will accelerate the transition from LCD to OLED.”

UBI Research, Ripple effects of blue phosphorescent materials (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

UBI Research, Ripple effects of blue phosphorescent materials (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

Next, CEO Lee continued his presentation on OLED market trends. The situation is not easy for Korean companies due to the deteriorating market conditions and panel price cuts by Chinese panel makers. According to UBI Research, Samsung Display’s smartphone OLED shipments in the third quarter of this year were 78.9 million units, down 35% from 121.4 million units in the same period last year.

CEO Lee Choong-hoon said, “If you look at OLED shipments by substrate, flexible OLED is similar to the same period of the previous year, but rigid OLED declined sharply. As Chinese panel makers cut rigid OLED panel prices, domestic companies’ position in the rigid OLED market is narrowing. Samsung Display may stop producing rigid OLED panels in the next year or so.” he analyzed.

Finally, even in the first half of 2023, despite the unfavorable OLED market conditions, OLED panel shipments for TVs are expected to increase slightly. CEO Lee said, “The number of OLED panels for TV from 8.7 million this year is expected to increase to 9.5 million next year. LG Electronics is expected to produce 4.5 million WOLED TVs and Samsung Electronics is expected to increase QD-OLED TV shipments from 450,000 this year to 1 million next year.” He added, “Although Samsung Electronics entered the OLED TV market, it remains to be seen whether the deterioration of the overall TV market will affect the OLED TV market expansion.”

▶ 2022 Mid-Large OLED Display Semi-Annual Report Sample Download 

Introducing DOW Chemical, Inkjet OCR for Foldable OLED [2022 Second Half OLED Seminar]

/in , , /by

At the “2022 Second Half OLED Seminar” held at the FKI Hall in Yeouido on November 9, 2022, Dow Chemical introduced silicon-based inkjet printable OCR that can be used for foldable OLEDs.

In general, OCR is mainly used for rigid OLEDs and OCA is mainly used for flexible OLEDs and foldable OLEDs, but recently, OCA is used for rigid OLEDs with hole design, and development to use OCR for foldable OLEDs is also underway.

DOW Chemical said OCR may not have a smooth shape near the edge and its characteristics depend a lot on the substrate, but replacing OCA with OCR can reduce the process and expand productivity.

In addition, it was mentioned that it is possible to form a thin film of 10 um through amount control, and that it has the advantage of overcoming the difficult step with OCA.

DOW Chemical, Inkjet OCR for Foldable OLEDs (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

DOW Chemical, Inkjet OCR for Foldable OLEDs (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

Acrylic series are widely used as materials for OCA, which is currently used for flexible OLEDs and foldable OLEDs that are currently on the market.

DOW Chemical finished its presentation with the expectation that silicon-based OCR will be wider in the future because it can maintain reliability even in extreme environments due to low viscosity or characteristic changes despite temperature changes.

DOW Chemical, Inkjet OCR for Foldable OLEDs (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

DOW Chemical, Inkjet OCR for Foldable OLEDs (Second half of 2022 OLED Seminar)

▶ 2022 OLED Components and Materials Report Inquiry

Fewer Notches and More Punch Holes! OLED Smartphones Released in 2022

/in /by
OLED Smartphone Market Share Released in 2021 (left) and 2022 (~3Q, right)

OLED Smartphone Market Share Released in 2021 (left) and 2022 (~3Q, right)

Among OLED smartphones released in 2022, the market share of smartphones with notch and narrow bezel designs decreased by 6.1% and 1.9%, respectively, compared to 2021.

Among a total of 171 OLED smartphones released by September 2022, 145 types of punch hole design, 13 types of notch, 8 types of narrow bezel, and 5 types of UPC (Under panel camera) were released. The total number of OLED smartphones released is similar to that of 2021, but the notch and narrow bezel designs are close to half of those in 2021. On the other hand, the market share of smartphones with punch-hole design increased by 8.3% compared to 2021, accounting for 84.8%.

In particular, Apple applied a punch hole design to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models instead of the previously applied notch. With Samsung Electronics and Apple, the punch hole design is expected to become more and more of the main technology in the future.

OLED smartphones released by Q3 2022 ppi by size

OLED smartphones released by Q3 2022 ppi by size

As for the size, there were 145 types of smartphones in the range of 6.4x to 6.7x, accounting for 84.8% of the market share. In addition, 4 products in the 7-inch range, 3 products in the 8-inch range, and 1 product in the 5-inch range were released. All 7-inch and larger products were foldable phones.

By resolution, 78 products in the 300ppi range and 80 products in the 400ppi range were released. Compared to 2021, the market share of 300ppi products increased by 7.1% and the 400ppi range products decreased by 4.5%. Thirteen products with 500ppi or higher were released and the product with the highest resolution was Sony’s ‘Xperia 1 IV’ at 643ppi.

Due to the nature of the fourth quarter, where the number of products released is smaller than in the second and third quarters, the number of OLED smartphone launches in 2022 is expected to be similar to or slightly less than that of 226 in 2021.

[IFA 2022] ASUS Foldable Laptop (Zenbook 17 Fold OLED)

/in /by

#ifa2022 #zenbook17 #oled

▶ UBI Research official website
https://ubiresearch.com/en/

▶If you are curious about the latest news related to OLED?
https://en.olednet.com/

▶Business, display report inquiry
marketing@ubiresearch.com
+82-2-577-4391

[IFA 2022] ASUS OLED Laptop (Vivobook, Zenbook)

/in /by

#asus #vivobook #zenbook

▶ UBI Research official website
https://ubiresearch.com/en/

▶If you are curious about the latest news related to OLED?
https://en.olednet.com/

▶Business, display report inquiry
marketing@ubiresearch.com
+82-2-577-4391

$3.55 Billion in OLED Components & Material the Second Quarter of This Year, Down 7.9% from the Previous Quarter

/in /by

According to “3Q22 OLED Components & Material Market Track” published quarterly by UBI Research, the market for major Components & Material in the second quarter of 2022 was estimated to be $3.55 billion. It fell 7.9% from the previous quarter and rose 8.9% from the same quarter last year. The main reason why the market for Components & Material decreased in the second quarter compared to the previous quarter is that shipments of flexible OLED panels of Samsung Display, BOE, and LG Display decreased.

Samsung Display, BOE, and LG Display’s flexible OLED shipments in the second quarter of 2022 were analyzed to be 43.5 million units, 14.1 million units, and 5.7 million units, respectively. This is a drop of 17.3%, 29.9%, and 40.6%compared to the previous quarter. It was analyzed that Driver IC&COF formed a market of $1.77 billion in the second quarter of 2022, process films formed a market of $63.2 million, and OCA formed a market of $52.4 million.

OLED components & materials market in the second quarter of 2022

OLED components & materials market in the second quarter of 2022

The markets for major parts and materials of OLED are divided into countries (Korea and China) and the expected markets until 2026 are shown as cumulative graphs based on 100%.

OLED components and materials main market

OLED components and materials main market

Chinese panel manufacturers’ purchases of Components & Material are expected to increase by 2.5% annually from $6.11 billion in 2022 to $6.76 billion in 2026, while Korean panel manufacturers are expected to purchase materials in the amount of $9.99 billion in 2026 at an annual average growth rate of 2.1%, from $9.09 billion in 2022.

Based on the purchase amount of Components & Material, Samsung Display is expected to account for 40% over the next five years, and LG Display and BOE are expected to account for 20% and 17%, respectively. Among Chinese panel manufacturers, it is predicted that material purchases will be high in the order of BOE, Visionox, TCL CSOT, and Tianma.

“3Q22 OLED Components & Material Market Track” selected 20 major OLED parts material manufacturers and conducted market research. The quarterly market was investigated by dividing it into eight categories: Substrate, TFT, Encapsulation, Touch Sensor, Polarizer, Adhesive, Cover Window, and Module, and market share was analyzed by company and application (TV, Mobile). In addition, the supply volume and market for each component material by 2026 were predicted. The Market Track Quarterly Report provides necessary information to industry leaders in OLED industries.

▶ 3Q22 OLED Components & Materials Market Track Sample Download

Shipments of Medium and Large OLED Displays in 2022 is Expected to be 26.3 Million Units

/in /by

According to “3Q22 Medium & Large OLED Display Market Track” published quarterly by UBI Research, the medium and large OLED display market for the second quarter of 2022 was estimated at $1.67 billion. Medium and large OLED displays mean displays that are 10 inches or more.

In the second quarter of 2022, OLED medium to large-sized display markets rose 22.9% compared to the previous quarter and increased 11.2% compared to the same quarter last year. OLED for laptops is the largest increase in medium to large-sized OLED shipments. Shipments in the first quarter were 1.14 million units, but shipments in the second quarter were 2.18 million units, about twice that of the previous quarter.

As the war in Ukraine continues to extend, the premium TV market is being hit hard in Europe. Estimated shipments of OLED panels for TVs in 2022 were 9.2 million units in the last quarter, but revised shipments were 9.1 million units. Shipment of OLED TVs in the second quarter increased by 250,000 units from 1.71 million units in the first quarter to 1.96 million units. Of these, shipments of WRGB OLED panels are 1.71 million units and QD-OLED TV panels are 250,000 units.

Medium and Large OLED Display Market(2Q 2022)

Medium and Large OLED Display Market(2Q 2022)

As Samsung Electronics plans to increase sales of QD-OLED TVs to 1 million units next year, shipments of OLED TVs for TVs are expected to increase to 12 million units by 2023. LG Display is expected to convert its P7 and P8 lines into OLED lines to gradually reduce its LCD panel business, which is deteriorating profitability, and increase OLED production.

Medium and large OLED displays are categorized into application products (TV, Tablet, Notebook, Monitor, and Automotive), and the estimated shipments to 2027 are shown as a 100% cumulative graph.

Medium and Large OLED Display shipments and forecasts

Medium and Large OLED Display shipments and forecasts

It is estimated that shipments of medium and large OLED displays will increase to 26.3 million units in 2022 and 84.2 million units in 2027. Apple expects Tablet shipments to increase sharply after 2024 as the iPad is expected to be released in 2024.

“3Q22 Medium & Large OLED Display Market Track” surveyed the current status of OLED production capacity for medium and large OLED displays over 10 inches, quarterly shipments and sales performance for major product lines such as Automotive, Note PC, Monitor, and TV by major panel manufacturers. It will also provide data on market forecast analysis of 5 years to 2027, such as ASP and OLED demand/supply analysis by application.

▶ 3Q22 Medium and Large OLED Display Market Track Sample Download

2Q22 OLED Light-Emitting Material Market $4.12 billion, up 7.8% from the Same Quarter Last Year

/in /by

According to the “3Q22 OLED Emitting Material Market Track” published quarterly by UBI Research, purchases of OLED light-emitting materials in the second quarter of 2022 amounted to $4.12 billion.

In the second quarter of 2022, the OLED light-emitting material market decreased by 2.1% compared to the previous quarter and increased by 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Overall, there was a decrease in panel shipments of Samsung Display and LG Display due to the off-season, but sales did not decrease significantly from the previous quarter due to rising exchange rates and the supply of new materials.

In the small OLED panel market, Samsung Display’s second-quarter purchase of light-emitting materials fell 2.2 % from the previous quarter to $1.52 billion, BOE fell 11.7% to $53.1 million, and LG Display fell 12.6% from the previous quarter to $39.7 million.

For OLED TVs, LG Display’s second-quarter purchase of light-emitting materials was $77.3 million, similar to the previous quarter, while Samsung Display’s purchase of materials for TVs was $28.3 million, up slightly from the previous quarter.

2Q 2022 OLED Emitting Materials Market

2Q 2022 OLED Emitting Materials Market

Sales of OLED light-emitting materials for each quarter were classified by layer, and the expected sales until 2026 were expressed as a 100% cumulative graph.

Sales and the market share Forecast by OLED method

Sales and the market share Forecast by OLED method

The OLED light-emitting material market is predicted to be $1.81 billion in 2022 and $2.5 billion in 2026. As shipments of WRGB OLEDs are expected to exceed 20 million units in 2026, purchases of light-emitting materials for WRGB OLEDs are expected to reach $900 million in 2026 from $4.3 billion in 2022. As the RGB 2stack market for IT grows, it is expected to reach $53.4 million in 2024 and $190 million in 2026.

Sales of luminescent layer and common layer were investigated to identify the overall market of light-emitting materials, and performance was analyzed by dividing them into countries, panel companies, applied products, layers, and OLED methods (RGB, WRGB, and QD-OLED). In addition, OLED market information up to 2026 was predicted by predicting the usage and sales of light-emitting materials by each company over the next five years. The Market Track Quarterly Report provides necessary information to industry workers who lead OLED industries.

▶ 3Q22 OLED Emitting Material Market Track Sample Download

Is green emitting material a key material in the high refresh rate trend?

/in /by
green emitting material capacitance

OLED material

Recently released smartphones support a fast refresh rate of 120 Hz. Such a fast refresh rate allows smooth screen transitions and can express dynamic movements, especially in games, but consumes a lot of power.

Major set makers such as Samsung Electronics and Apple started to use OLEDs with LTPO TFTs, which consume relatively low power while realizing a refresh rate of 120 Hz and OLED smartphones to which LTPO TFT is applied are positioned in each set maker’s ultra-premium lineup.

In this high refresh rate trend, the capacitance of the green emitting material is becoming an issue.

If the capacitance of the green emitting material is high, dragging may occur when switching the screen in the high refresh rate mode. Since the human eye responds the most to green, the green appears prominently, which may cause problems in color expression.

For this reason, it is understood that some material makers have recently received requests from set or panel makers to lower the capacitance characteristics of green emitting materials.

Daejeong Yoon, an analyst at UBI Research, said, “The biggest issue for material companies in the past and still is lifetime and efficiency, but recently, even the capacitance of materials has become an issue due to the trend of high refresh rate.” And “Green material with deuterium substitution technology will be applied to some mass production from the second half of this year, and material makers are immediately forced to develop green materials with low capacitance.”

As smartphones supporting a high refresh rate of 120 Hz are expected to become mainstream in the future, the use of green emitting materials with low capacitance is also expected to increase.

▶ 2022 OLED Emitting Material Report Sample Download

[K-Display 2022] LG Display creates new value with transparent OLED

/in /by

At ‘K-Display 2022’ held from August 10 to 12, LG Display exhibited various transparent OLED products such as wall type and TV type. The transparent OLED exhibited this time had a transmittance of 45% and a resolution of FHD level.

LG Display's transparent OLED

LG Display’s transparent OLED exhibited at K-Display 2022

At the ‘Display BUSINESS Forum 2022’ held on the 11th, Kang Won-seok, managing director of LG Display, said that the use of transparent OLEDs is increasing due to improved transmittance and reduced weight.

Director Kang mentioned that LG Display has been developing transparent OLED since 2014, and announced that he would increase the value of transparent OLED in line with internal activities that have been increasing since COVID-19.

LG Display Transparent OLED Roadmap

LG Display Transparent OLED Roadmap

Currently, LG Display is mass-producing transparent OLED on a limited basis in its E3 line. Currently, only 55-inch transparent OLEDs are being mass-produced, but from the second half of this year, they plan to expand the lineup to 77 inches.

LG Display’s transparent OLED is mainly used for museums and signage in China. As demand is expected to increase in the future, LG Display is expected to respond to the market by lowering panel prices and introducing production lines other than E3.

▶ OLED Display Report Sample Download

(Sub) OLED components and material market and OLED shipment forecast!

/in /by

The structure of the OLED panel is composed of various components and materials.
Also, there are differences in the structure according to Flexible OLED, Foldable OLED, and W-OLED.

In this video, I talked about the major small, medium and large OLED shipments along with the major components and materials market forecasts.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them.
Thanks for watching.

※ This video was produced based on UBI Research’s ‘2022 OLED Components and Materials Report’ and ‘OLED Components and Materials Market Track’

▶ Download Report sample
https://ubiresearch.com/en/product/2022-oled-component-and-material-report/

▶ Download Market Track sample
https://ubiresearch.com/en/market-track/market-component/

▶ UBI Research Homepage
https://ubiresearch.com/en/

▶ Business, display report inquiry
marketing@ubiresearch.com
+82-2-577-4391

▶ If you want to know the latest news related to OLED?
https://en.olednet.com/

LG디스플레이 부스

[K-Display 2022] LG Display Online Booth Tour

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

This is the LG Display booth exhibited at K-Display 2022.
LG Display exhibited OLED.EX, transparent OLED, and various concept OLED products.
I hope it will be of some help to those who could not attend K-Display 2022.

▶ UBI Research official website
https://ubiresearch.com/en/

▶Business, display report inquiry
marketing@ubiresearch.com
+82-2-577-4391

▶If you are curious about the latest news related to OLED?
https://en.olednet.com/

LG디스플레이 투명OLED

[K-Display 2022] LG Display’s Transparent OLED

/in /by

This is LG Display’s new transparent OLED display.
It was amazing to actually see the technology we saw in sci-fi movies when we were young.
How can LG Display’s transparent OLED be applied to our lives?

▶ UBI Research official website
https://ubiresearch.com/en/

▶Business, display report inquiry
marketing@ubiresearch.com
+82-2-577-4391

▶If you are curious about the latest news related to OLED?
https://en.olednet.com/

iPhone14에 적용되는 M12 구조의 Supply chain

Samsung Display’s New Material Structure M12, iPhone14 Pro Models Only

/in /by
Samsung Display's M12 structure (to be applied to iPhone 14)

Supply Chain of M12 Structure Applied to iPhone14

Samsung Display will apply the new material structure M12 only to the top two Pro models of Apple’s iPhone 14 series, scheduled to be released in the second half of the year. For the lower two models, the M11 structure applied to the iPhone13 is used as it is.

Samsung Display supplies OLED to all four iPhone14 series. Samsung Display uses the same M11 structure applied to iPhone13 as it is for iPhone14 and 14 Max, the two lower models to which LTPS TFT is applied. Samsung Display applies a new structure, M12 structure, to 14 Pro and Pro Max to which LTPO TFT is applied.

The reason why Samsung Display applies a material structure differently to the iPhone series seems to be Apple’s cost-saving measure. In Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S22 series released in the first half of the year, M11 was applied to Ultra and Plus models and M10 was applied to regular models.

Samsung Display’s new material structure M12 is applied to Apple’s iPhone14 series and Samsung Electronics’ foldable phones Z Fold4 and Z Flip4.

▶ 2022 OLED Emitting Material Report Sample Download

(SUB) Apple’s OLED product roadmap (What is the expected structure of a foldable laptop?!)

/in /by

In this video, Apple’s OLED product roadmap, a company that accompanies innovation, was covered. OLEDs for Apple products are supplied by Samsung Display and LG Display. Apple’s presence in the display industry is great. The image of Apple’s foldable laptop that UBI Research predicts is shown in the video. What other innovative products is Apple preparing?

※ This video was produced based on UBI Research’s special report ‘2022 Micro-Display Technology Report’.

▶Download the 2022 Micro-Display Technology Report Sample  

▶ UBI Research official website https://ubiresearch.com/en/

▶Business, display report inquiry marketing@ubiresearch.com +82-2-577-4391

▶If you are curious about the latest news related to OLED? https://en.olednet.com/

#apple #OLED #Foldablelaptop

This Year’s OLED Mass Production Capacity Substrate Area is Expected to be 47.3 million ㎡

/in /by

According to the ‘2022 OLED Components and Materials Report’ recently published by UBI Research (www.ubiresearch.com), a company specialized in OLED market research, the substrate area of ​​the total OLED mass production capacity in 2022 is expected to be 47.3milion ㎡. In 2022, the LTPO TFT line and EDO’s 6th-generation rigid OLED line, which Samsung Display invested in to supplement the idle capacity of the A3 line, are scheduled to be operated. In 2023, LG Display’s E6-4 line and BOE’s B12-3 line Line, Samsung Display’s 8.5G IT line are expected to be put into operation in 2024.

As for the substrate area of ​​small OLED for smart watch and smartphone, the line capacity for rigid OLED in 2022 is 5.29 million ㎡, accounting for 24.8% of the market share. Rigid OLED investment is not expected in the future. In 2022, the capacity for flexible OLED is 15.3 million ㎡, accounting for 71.5% of the total. From 2024, part of Samsung Display’s A3 line will be converted to an IT line, and the mass production capacity is expected to decrease. The line capacity for foldable OLED is expected to reach 0.79 million ㎡ in 2022 and 1.52 million ㎡ from 2023.       

Samsung Display’s IT line capacity is expected to expand to 2.69 million ㎡ by 2025 as part of the A3 line is converted to an IT line in the first half of 2024. A new 8.5G line is expected to be operated in 2024. From the second half of 2023, LG Display’s capacity is expected to be 0.75 and 0.52 million ㎡, respectively, with the E6-4 line operating and BOE’s B12-3 line operating.

OLED line capacity for TV is not expected to change until 2026 unless additional investment is made. From 2022, LG Display’s mass production capacity is 20.3 million ㎡, accounting for 85.5% of the total. Capacity is expected to increase further depending on whether additional customers are secured in the future. Samsung Display’s capacity is 3.3 million ㎡ and BOE’s is 0.13 million ㎡, accounting for 13.9% and 0.6% of market share, respectively.

Meanwhile, the ‘2022 OLED Components and Materials Report’ published this time dealt with the latest OLED industry issues analysis, development of components and materials for foldable devices, industry status, analysis of mass production capacity of OLED panel companies, and major component and material market forecasts. It is expected to help parts and materials companies to understand related technologies and predict future technology directions and markets.

▶ 2022 OLED Components and Materials Report Inquiry

Chinese Government’s Aggressive Movement Toward Domestic Product Exclusivity. What Next for Korean Companies?

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Recently, there is a movement to manufacture display-related materials, materials, and equipment exclusively in China. According to the ‘2022 OLED Components and Materials Report’ recently published by UBI Research (www.ubiresearch.com), China National Development and Reform Commission(国家发展和改革委员会) or Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China(中华人民共和国工业和信息化部) are providing investment funds to Chinese OLED display-related developers and are rapidly moving towards domestic demand.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China is planning a large-scale support project for display-related materials, equipment, and parts for domestic demand in China. The companies selected for the project will receive unprecedented subsidies from the Chinese government. Recently, the Ministry of Public Information and Security is believed to have supported FMM and related evaporators and other equipment. In addition, the items promoted by the National Development and Development Committee of China for domestic demand will be developed and mass-produced within three years, and all domestic production will be carried out within five years.

In addition to government projects, companies are also active in domestic demand. BOE, China’s largest display maker, has already made significant investments for domestic demand. In March, BOE CEO Gao Wenbao, who felt the pressures due to volume and cost, ordered a special policy directly for purchase planning. In the process of diversifying business partners for cost reduction, BOE reviewed only domestic companies, excluding overseas companies. Of BOE’s investment in materials, materials and equipment for domestic demand, about 70% of the capital has already been invested. The investment is expected to be completed by 2023.

The Chinese government has included display in the national high-tech strategic industry early on and has provided unprecedented support to display companies such as BOE and TCL CSOT. In addition, the Chinese government is raising import tariffs on materials and parts that can be produced in China and is meeting the needs of domestic demand.

In order to widen the gap with China, which is closely chasing Korea from LCD to OLED, the Korean government must take active measures. The Korean government will designate display as a national high-tech strategic technology in the ‘Special Act on National Advanced Strategic Industries’, which will be enforced on the 4th of next month and will provide tax support and various benefits to display companies.

▶  2022 OLED Components and Materials Report Inquiry

Nano Korea 2022 Exhibition Contents

/in /by

From July 6th to the 8th, NANO Korea 2022 Exhibition was held at the Kintex 1st Exhibition Hall Ilsan. The exhibition consisted of 604 booths from 343 companies. The International Nanotechnology Convergence Exhibition, the International Adhesive Coating Film Convergence Material Exhibition, the International Laser Technology Exhibition, the International Advanced Ceramics Exhibition, and the International Smart Sensor Technology Exhibition were just a few represented at this exhibition.
One display company, AMOGREENTECH, a company based on nanomaterials, exhibited thermally conductive adhesive sheets and thermally conductive pastes as heat dissipation solutions with low dielectric constant and high thermal conductivity. The products exhibited by AMOGREENTECH showed a simple process structure and high heat resistance and transfer characteristics.

CollTech booth

CollTech, an adhesive solution company established in 2013, is converting its adhesive business from film to liquid to reduce the display bezel of automotive displays. An official from Coll tech stated, “Since it is difficult to develop a liquid adhesive from the beginning, we are developing it in advance for films. Recently, companies have been requesting a lot of liquid type adhesives or sealing agents containing black pigments during UV curing.”

Films exhibited by AMTE

AMTE, which produces functional coating materials and films, exhibited high-hardness antifouling coatings used for OLED and LCD, high-brightness anti-glare coatings, transparent antistatic coatings, and blue light cut coatings.
French laser company Amplitude exhibited laser equipment used for display repair, panel shape cut, and camera hole cut. Recently, Amplitude mentioned that he is testing a ‘giga burst’ technology that improves machinability by splitting laser pulses into 200-800 pieces.
In addition, laser companies such as Coherent and Trumpf exhibited their laser equipment, and various display-related companies such as Evident Korea, Nanosolution, Profinecam, and Iotechnics exhibited their products.

Can VR replace TVs and Monitors?

/in /by

VR devices have been on the rise since 2016 and were expected to be an important factor in IT business, but have not yet made a big impact. At CES 2016, Intel exhibited applications that enable creative activities such as education and art. In 2017, Samsung presented games and movies that can be felt with the body in 4D form at the IFA VR experiment zone.

VR features excellent immersion and presence. A 1-inch display can look like a 60-inch display. The display that provides information uses micro-display, but LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) has a slow response speed, poor color, and low contrast ratio. So the trend is changing to OLEDoS (OLED on silicon). Sony is making its own micro OLED and Panasonic is working with US Kopin to make VR.
Recently, VR devices are preparing to replace monitors. If it is made in high resolution, about 10 screens can be displayed on each VR monitor screen. In the future, the monitor market will change to the VR market. VR can emerge as the best dark horse in the IT market. VR may possibly also replace TVs. A head speaker with a much better three-dimensional effect is essential. There may also be changes in the movie theaters as a VR device might provide a 60-inch screen and provide a high sense of immersion into the film for movie-goers.
Micro OLED composition consists of TFT designed on a silicon wafer and OLED is formed on it. LGD’s WOLED method is used for OLED. The RGB method requires a fine metal mask, but the AP system is preparing a mask capable of 2000ppi or more using a laser. Because WOLED uses a color filter, there is a loss of about 10%. RGB may be more advantageous in terms of luminance, but for commercialization, WOLED resolution can be much higher. Since it has been developed for a long time, WOLED is expected to be applied. Applications include military, medical, industrial, viewfinder, smart glasses, and the like.

Recently, Apple requested LG Display and Samsung Display to prepare Micro OLED. LG Display placed an order for the Sunic System evaporator in June and is moving quickly.
Samsung Electronics also has a request for VR. In 2025, it can be seen that LG Display and Samsung Display can produce many types of Micro OLED. We expect to see Apple’s VR devices around 2024.

Related Report : 2022 Micro-display REPORT

Fierce Price Competition Amongst WOLED TVs, QD-OLED TVs, and Neo QLED TVs

/in /by

We experienced fierce price competition in the first half of 2022 among premium TVs with a launch price of $2,000 or more. It will be interesting to see how the Amazon Prime Day event scheduled for July will affect TV prices.
2022 OLED TV prices until June 2022 was analyzed based on 65 inch TVs. The standard was the selling price on Bestbuy.com and Sony’s QD-OLED TV selling price on their official website.
LG Electronics’ WOLED TVs B2, C2, and G2 released in March were $2,300, $2,500, and $3,200, respectively. Samsung Electronics’ QD-OLED TV S95B was $3,000. Sony’s WOLED TV A80K was priced at $3,800 and QD-OLED TV A95K was priced at $4,000.

In June, the price of LG Electronics’ G2 model fell by $200, forming a price difference of $500 for each series. Samsung Electronics’ S95B model continues to maintain a price difference of $200 lower than LG Electronics’ high-end model G2. Sony lowered the price of the WOLED TV A80K by $300, while maintaining the price of QD-OLED TV A95K.
Samsung Electronics’ S95B and LG Electronics’ high-end OLED TV G2 are in heavy price competition. Sony is setting the price of QD-OLED TV higher than WOLED TV.
The price competition is also fierce between OLED TVs from each set makers and Neo QLED TVs with Samsung Electronics’ mini-LED technology.
As of June, the prices of Samsung Electronics’ 4K Neo QLED TVs, QN85B, QN90B, and QN95B, are $1,800, $2,600, and $3,300, respectively. The 8K Neo QLED TVs QN800B and QN900B are $3,300 and $4,800.

The prices of Samsung Electronics’ 4K Neo QLED TV series and LG Electronics’ 4K OLED TV series are similar. Within Samsung Electronics’ entire TV series, QD-OLED TV is located between 4K Neo QLED and 8K Neo QLED. Sony’s OLED TV series, which is highly evaluated in terms of picture quality, is competing in price with Samsung Electronics’ 8K Neo QLED TV series.
Although this price trend is expected to continue this year, aggressive marketing following the Amazon Prime event in the second half of the year and the Qatar World Cup is expected to be strong variables. Attention should be paid to how LG Electronics’ OLED TV with micro lens array technology, which is expected to be released next year, will affect the premium TV market in the future.

OLED Smartphone Launch Products Slows Down In The First Half of 2022

/in /by

The number of OLED smartphone launches, which had steadily increased from 2019 to 2021 reached only 110 units in the first half of 2022. 137 units had been released in 2019, 166 units in 2020, and 225 units in 2021. If this industry trend continues in 2022, OLED smartphones expected release will only be similar to 2021 or even slightly fewer than it had been last year.
Most of the smartphones released in the first half of 2022 were made in China. 98 products from China accounted for 89% of market share, followed by 9 products from Korea, 2 from Japan, and 1 from India.
By size, 6.6-inch products were the most with 34 types, followed by 6.4-inch products with 31 types and 6.7-inch products with 21 types. The largest sized product was Vivo’s ‘X Fold’, which was an 8.03-inch foldable. Not including the foldables, Vivo’s ‘X Note’ was the largest at 7.0 inches. The smallest product was Sony’s ‘Xperia 10 IV’, which was 6.0 inches.
By design, 102 types of punch hole models were released, with 4 narrow bezel types, 2 notch types, and 2 UPC types. There were two types of smartphones with UPC (Under Panel Camera) applied: ZTE’s Axon 40 Ultra and Nubia Red Magic 7 Pro.

By resolution, 51 products with 300ppi range, 50 products with 400ppi range, and 9 products with 500ppi or higher were released. No products under 300ppi were released. The product with the highest resolution was Sony’s ‘Xpeia 1 IV’, which had a resolution of 643ppi.
There were three foldable phones released in the first half of the year: Vivo’s ‘X Fold’, Honor’s ‘Magic V’, and Huawei’s ‘Mate Xs2’. All three types of foldable phones have a punch-hole design. The resolution of ‘Mate Xs2’ was 424ppi, which is 10ppi higher than the average OLED smartphones released in the first half of the year. Whereas ‘X Fold’ and ‘Magic V’ were two products with the lowest resolution among OLED smartphones released in the first half of the year.

Merck, now it is time to consider the refractive index of common layer materials.

/in /by

At the ‘OLED settlement seminar for the first half of 2022’ held at COEX on June 23, Merck’s Kim Jun-ho, head of research institute, said, “The concept of the refractive index of the emitting layer is often applied to the capping layer on the cathode, but now it is also required for HTL” and mentioned that the light extraction efficiency can be improved through the optimized refractive index design of HTL.

Next, Kim said, “Because the refractive index of HTL has a trade-off relationship with the hole transport capacity, it is difficult to adjust the refractive index,” and “Even though it was lowered to 1.77 from 1.85, the light extraction efficiency could be improved by 7% without an increase in the driving voltage or a decrease in electron mobility.”

Recently, panel makers are continuously developing the OLED light extraction efficiency. This is because by increasing the light extraction efficiency, as a result, the battery life can be increased. Representative examples include a high-refractive capping layer and micro lens array, and an on-cell film that removes the polarizer and uses a color filter.
The concept of the refractive index of the light emitting, which had been concentrated on the capping layer, is extended to the common layer, and it is expected that panel makers will intensify technological competition, and that there will be many changes in the supply chain of emitting materials of panel makers in the future.

Choong-Hoon Yi, CEO of UBI Research, “Korean display companies must have price competitiveness as well as OLED technology competitiveness”

/in /by

Although there is still a gap in display technology between Korea and China, it has been argued that Korean display companies should have price competitiveness as soon as possible.

On the 23rd, at the ‘OLED Settlement Seminar for the first half of 2022’ held at COEX in Samsung-dong, Seoul, UBI Research CEO Choong-Hoon Yi made a presentation on ‘Forecast of the small OLED market, which China is chasing fiercely’.

CEO Yi announced, “Currently, the media reports that the technological gap between Korea and China has almost narrowed, but making and displaying products and mass-producing products are two different things, and the technological gap between Korea and China is still significant.” He continued, “Samsung Display is planning various products such as slideable and Z-folding based on technological competitiveness. However, it will be difficult to commercialize it immediately because the slideable phone invades the existing foldable phone market.”

CEO Yi said, “It is very important not only to develop technological competitiveness, but also to increase price competitiveness. The reason Korean companies closed the LCD business is not because of the good technology of Chinese companies, but because they were pushed back in price competitiveness.”, and “As the technology advances, the performance difference felt by ordinary consumers becomes insignificant, so products with good price competitiveness are inevitable in the market,” he analyzed.

Finally, “China’s OLED industry is growing under the enormous support from the government. In order not to lose the lead in the OLED market like LCD to China, it is essential for domestic companies to prepare for price competitiveness and the government’s support policy,” he concluded.

GrapheneLab surpasses the ppi limit with a plated metal mask

/in /by

GrapheneLab, a graphene commercialization technology company, announced that it is possible to manufacture FMMs over 800ppi using graphene.

At the ‘UBI Research First Half 2022 OLED Settlement Seminar’ held at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul on the 23rd, GrapheneLab CEO Yong-duk Kwon said, “In the early 2000s, FMM technology, which started in the early 2000s, was not interested in the plating method. It is changing,”, and “After 2013, many patents related to the plating method FMM manufacturing technology have been applied, and it is easier to apply the plating method than the currently used etching method in order to go to high resolution.”

Next, CEO Kwon said, “We moved away from the existing limiting etching method FMM and applied the plating method FMM. Compared to the etching method, where 400ppi was the limit at the same thickness, the plating method realized more than 600ppi.”, “Etched metal mask has a dead zone of 8um in length due to the INVAR structure that becomes sharp like a dot when etching at a depth of 20um, whereas there is no dead zone during pattern plating of the plated metal mask.”

Lastly, CEO Kwon said, “For the MSAP electroforming technology, a low coefficient of thermal expansion with a thin thickness is required. As a result of measuring the coefficient of thermal expansion using TMA on the plated sample, it was measured up to 3.1ppm, and it went down to 2.5ppm without heat treatment.”

Will BOE Resume iPhone 13 Production?

/in /by

iPhone13/Apple

It seems that BOE has started line operations for iPhone 13.
Back in March, most of the iPhone 13 shipments were canceled due to an issue with Apple. BOE will now resume production. With this new development, BOE’s forecast for iPhone 13 production this year is expected to increase after being adjusted down in March.
BOE has a total of 20 iPhone module lines at its B11 (Mianyang) plant. BOE’s production of the iPhone 13 is believed to have begun in early June and production of the iPhone 14 is expected to begin as well. The B11 factory has iPhone 13 line to produce iPhone 12 and 13 and iPhone 14 module line exclusively for iPhone 14, as the process is quite different from iPhone 13 line.
Details of BOE’s iPhone 13 and 14 production volume, panel unit price, and module line by product can be found in UBI Research’s ‘China Trend Report’. UBI Research’s ‘China Trend Report’ can be inquired on the UBI Research website.

1Q of 2022 OLED Emitting Material Market $420 million, up 9% Compared to the Same Quarter of the Previous Year

/in , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

According to “2Q22 OLED Emitting Material Market Track”, a quarterly report published by UBI Research, the sales of emitting materials in the first quarter were $421 million, down 21.1% (QoQ) from $533 million in the previous quarter but was an increase by 9% (YoY)when compared to $386 million in the first quarter of 2021.
Although sales of emitting materials for TV and mobile devices decreased compared to the previous quarter, IT sales recorded a meaningful figure of $6.6 million. Although sales fluctuate depending on seasonal demand for applied products, if the sales of emitting materials are analyzed by application product, TV use is gradually increasing.

The top 3 companies in 1Q sales were UDC($86.6 million), DuPont($41.3 million), and Duksan($37.5 million). Duksan became the number one company in sales as a Korean company. The overall sales of luminescent materials in the first quarter decreased compared to the previous quarter but only UDC’s sales increased. Sales decreased to $421.5 million in 1Q22 from $533.8 million in 4Q21. However, UDC’s 1Q22 sales increased to $86.6 million from 4Q21’s sales of $85.5 million. It is estimated that this is due to the rise in the price of rare earth metals, a key material for manufacturing dopant.
Estimated sales of emitting materials in 2022 are $1.77 billion and are expected to grow to $2.4 billion in 2026.
By application product, the projected sales of emitting materials for smartphones this year are $1.4 billion, accounting for 79% of the total.
Of the projected sales in 2026, emitting materials for TV are expected to reach $550 million, which is expected to increase by 23%. In addition, emitting materials for IT are expected to account for 9% of $210 million.

“OLED Emitting Material Market Track” surveys and analyzes the market for quarterly OLED emitting materials. The total market of light emitting materials was identified by examining sales by light emitting layer and common layer. Performance analysis was categorized by country, panel maker, application product, layer, and OLED method (RGB, WRGB, QD-OLED). In addition, OLED market information for the next five years (up to 2026) was forecasted by predicting the amount of emitting material usage and sales by company. The quarterly market track provides necessary information to industry professionals who lead the OLED industry.

Chinese Panel Makers in Crisis! Will the Display Business’s Deficit Increase This Year?

/in /by

<Honor 70 With Panels Supplied by Visionox>

Chinese panel makers such as Visionox and BOE are expected to face losses due to cost pressures.
The operation rate of Visionox was analyzed to be high. This is because Visionox is exclusively producing 70-80% of Honor, a large Chinese smartphone manufacturer.
However, despite the high operation rate, Visionox’s business status is precarious at best. Through cooperative efforts, Visionox was allocated most of Honor’s panel production quantity, but it is known that Honor has requested additional panel price reduction. According to some sources, Visionox is currently facing a loss of about 200 million yuan per month due to the reduced panel price.
BOE, the largest panel maker in China is also facing trouble. BOE along with Visionox had previously been in charge of panel production for Honor but received almost no allocation of production volume from Honor. Earlier this year, BOE faced tremendous difficulty due to the cancellation of existing iPhone 13 shipments to Apple. In April, BOE’s CEO Gao Wenbao felt a sense of crisis due to pressure on OLED and LCD volume and price and gave direct orders on cost reduction. Currently, BOE’s OLED line operation rate is less than 40% and it is estimated that the OLED business unit may incur a loss of about 10 billion yuan this year.
LCD, which is one of the main businesses of Chinese panel makers, is continuously falling in prices and the supply and demand of panels from smartphone set makers are sluggish. If an appropriate countermeasure is not found, Chinese panel makers will continue to experience a growing deficit in the display business.

Samsung Display Unveils World’s First High Refresh Rate 240Hz OLED

/in /by

□ OLED supporting 240Hz, installed in new MSI notebooks
□ Emerging as a ‘game changer’ in the gaming laptop market with high refresh rate OLED

<World’s first 240Hz OLED laptop from MSI featuring Samsung Display OLED delivers game changing lifelike immersiveness>

 

Samsung Display today announced the start of mass production of the world’s first OLED displays for laptops with high refresh rate of 240Hz. The new panel will make its debut in MSI’s latest 15.6-inch gaming laptop, Raider GE67 HX, upping the ante in the fiercely competitive gaming market for high-performance displays.
Samsung Display’s OLED exceptional advantages of wide color gamut, high contrast ratio, true black and low blue light are not only recognized by smartphone users but by discerning laptop users as well. Beyond visual elements, specifications that affect actual gameplay such as response time and refresh rate, are more critical to gaming laptop users and the reason many players are opting for OLED products.
Refresh rate, or the number of times a display can update its image in one second, is a key factor in display performance. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the movements on a screen without afterimages. As displays featuring higher refresh rates present better image transitions, they are the tools of choice among first-person shooter (FPS) players who need to perceive fast-changing game situations as quickly as possible.
“OLED with high refresh rate is the perfect combination for a premium gaming experience, with super-low response time, super-wide color gamut, and super-high contrast ratio. In addition, it balances well between high resolution and high refresh rate performance,” said Clark Peng, Vice President of MSI Notebook Product Management Division. “Therefore, the latest 240Hz OLED display is suitable for high-performance enthusiasts and content creators as well as for gamers enjoying premium games,” he added.
“Our new 240Hz refresh rate OLED meets and exceeds the demand of consumers who have long been waiting for a laptop with a high refresh rate OLED panel,” said Jeeho Baek, Executive Vice President and Head of Samsung Display Strategic Marketing for Small and Medium Business. “The clear advantages offered by high refresh rate OLED panels compared to LCDs will be a game changer for the gaming industry.”
To introduce Raider GE67 HX to the world, MSI will hold a new product launching event on its YouTube channel on June 7, 2022, 10:00 a.m. PDT under the theme “MSIology: Ahead of the Curve.

What is the future change of WRGB OLED to respond to QD-OLED?

/in /by

 

2As Samsung Display’s QD-OLED begins to be applied to TVs and monitors in earnest in 2022, technological changes are being detected for LG Display’s WRGB OLED, which has been leading the large OLED market.

LG Display’s WRGB OLED has produced a WBC structure consisting of two blue layers and one red+yellow green layer in Paju by the end of 2021, and a WBE structure consisting of two blue layers and one red+green+yellow green layer in Guangzhou. Deuterium substitution technology was applied to the blue of the WBE structure.

Since 2022, LG Display has stopped producing WBC panels from its Paju line and has been producing ‘OLED.EX’ panels with deuterium substitution technology applied additionally to green of WBE produced in Guangzhou.

<Photo of OLED.EX presented by LG Display at the 2022 OLED Korea Conference>

At SID 2022, LG Display also exhibited a large OLED panel with micro lens array technology. Micro lens array technology was applied to Samsung Electronics’ ‘Galaxy S Ultra’ series, and it is the first technology applied to large OLEDs. LG Display is known to expect a 20% improvement in luminance compared to the previous one by applying micro lens array technology. Panels which micro lens array technology is applied are expected to be produced in Paju from the second half of this year.

Lastly, it is known that LG Display is developing a structure in which yellow green is removed from WRGB OLED. By eliminating yellow green, material and processing costs can be saved, and color gamut is expected to be improved.

Attention is paid to how LG Display’s WRGB OLED will evolve to compete against QD-OLED.

<OLED panel with micro lens array technology exhibited by LG Display at SID 2022>

[SID2022] Samsung Display Tour 2 Display Week 2022

/in /by

[SID2022] Display Week Booth Tour

/in /by

[SID 2022] E Ink Gallery™3 Display Week 2022

/in /by

Rollable 8” Display
300 ppi color and black and white

[SID 2022] AUO 14 6” Rollable Micro LED Display Display Week 2022

/in /by

Resolution (pixel) : QHD (2560 x RGB x 1440)
Pixel Density : 202PPI
Brightness :1,000 cm/m²
Contrast Ratio : 1,000,000 : 1
Color Gamut : 100% NTSC
Pixel Configuration : Color Conversion
Viewing Angle : 179° / 179° / 179° / 179°
LED Size : 30um

[SID 2022] TCL CSOT 14” Riseable Inkjet Printing OLED Display Week 2022

/in /by

Resolution : 1920(H) * RGB * 1080 (V)

Frame Rate : 60Hz

Active Area(mm) : 309.12(H) X 173.88(V)

Color Gamut : DCI-P3 → 99%

Color Temperature : 6500K

Brightness : 200nits

Contrast Ratio : 1,000,000 : 1

Crimp Radius : R20mm

Crimp Life : 100,000 times

 

[SID 2022] BOE 8” Slidable OLED Display Week 2022

/in /by

Resolution 2592 x 2176

Sliding Reel Radius 4.5mm

Machine Thickness 12.4mm

Sliding Distance 34mm

[SID 2022] Samsung Display Booth Display Week 2022

/in /by

[UBI Research China Trend Report] Will BOE Provide UPC Panel with Transparent PI Substrate to Oppo?

/in /by

BOE, the largest display maker in China, produces UPC (Under Panel Camera) panels with transparent PI substrates.

UPC is a technology that makes a full screen of a smartphone possible by placing the front camera under the screen. The UPC technology that is currently commercialized is a method of patterning the cathode electrode and changing the resolution near the camera. However, this time it is expected that a transparent PI substrate will be additionally applied to the UPC panel supplied by BOE to Oppo.

Existing transparent PI substrates had difficulties in mass production due to the high process temperature of LTPS TFT. Yet, the recent test results of the panels with the transparent PI substrate produced by BOE reached most conditions of satisfactory levels even at the LTPS TFT process temperature.

The UPC OLED panel with the transparent PI substrate developed by BOE is expected to be installed in Oppo’s upcoming products.

 

Introducing iPhone 14 Display Specifications and Panel Vendors

/in /by

<Apple iPhone 14 Series Specifications>

 

Samsung Display, LG Display, and BOE are expected to supply panels to Apple’s new iPhone 14 series in 2022. It is expected that Samsung Display will supply panels to all models in addition to iPhone 13 series. LG Display will supply 6.12-inch LTPS models and 6.69-inch LTPO models. BOE will supply panels only to 6.12-inch LTPS models.

The existing 5.4-inch mini model has been removed from the iPhone 14 series and a 6.69-inch Max model has been added. The size and resolution of iPhone 14 Max are the same as iPhone 14 Pro Max and LTPS TFT is applied instead of LTPO TFT.

In terms of design, the iPhone14 Pro and 14 Pro Max will have a punch hole design instead of the conventional notch. Apple’s punch hole design is expected to be applied as a double punch hole design due to various sensors and cameras.

Meanwhile, the total OLED panel supply to Apple in 2022 is expected to be about 215 million units, with Samsung Display expected to supply 135 million units, LG Display 55 million units, and BOE 25 million units. However, shipments are expected to be organically controlled due to market conditions and Apple’s policies.

 

[2022 OLED KOREA CONFERENCE] LG Display’s OLED 3.0 Captures Brightness and Lifespan Simultaneously

/in /by

At the keynote session of UBI Research’s ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ held from April 6th to 8th, Sang-Hyun Ahn, Managing Director of LG Display, announced, ‘The Present and Future of Automotive OLED Display: LG Display’s Future Outlook’.

Director Ahn announced, “The future will transform people and vehicles, and vehicles and vehicles to be connected, autonomous, shareable, and electrically driven. In order to respond to these changes, vehicle displays are getting bigger and more diverse in design, and displays are being applied to various locations to provide sights and information”.

Director Ahn continued, “The automotive display industry was led by LCD, but the OLED market is also gradually expanding its area.” He predicted, “The automotive OLED market will be worth $1.2 billion in 2025, It is also possible to grow to $6 billion.”

In addition, Director Ahn said, “LG ​​Display has already introduced an OLED 1.0 structure that satisfies the minimum requirements for automotive display: brightness of 800 nits and lifespan of 10,000 hours. Unlike OLED for smartphones, OLED for automobiles requires brightness of 800 nits or more to grasp accurate information even during the day, and lifespan of 10,000 hours or more is essential because the use cycle is more than 10 years. Although there is a trade-off between brightness and lifetime, we plan to develop OLED 3.0 with a brightness of 1,000 nits or more and a lifetime of 10,000 hours or more by overcoming this through development of materials and structures.”

Lastly, Director Ahn mentioned about future displays such as extra-large and transparent, slidable, and rollable that are applied to vehicles and said, “Many companies want large and many screens, but they want to hide those screens inside the vehicle. Slidable panels, which can be a solution to this, are already technologically stable and can become common around 2025. On the other hand, rollable panels, such as those that come down from a vehicle sunroof, still have a long way to go, but we will continue to develop them.”

 

[2022 OLED KOREA CONFERENCE] LG Display Executive Vice President Hyun-Woo Lee, Advancements in the Display Market with Technological Innovation that Suits Changing Lifestyles

/in /by

Executive Vice President Lee explained OLED technology innovation, future application fields, and market changes. He mentioned that COVID-19 has increased everyone’s time at home and changes in life display is necessary to match it.

Executive Vice President Lee first explained LG Display’s OLED.EX, and said, “LG Display’s OLED.EX is the most advanced OLED panel to which EX technology is applied. OLED.EX applies deuterium to increase brightness (an important element in OLED panels) by 30%. Through personalize algorithm based on AI and big data, reliability will be increased.” He also emphasized that “LG Display’s OLED.EX will be applied to all OLED TVs in the second quarter of 2022 and LG Display will lead the display market with innovative technologies including OLED.EX.”

Next, Executive Vice President Lee announced about life displays applied to everyday life, and said, “OLED is applied to life displays such as gaming, transparent, and portable displays. OLED realizes 100% original color to increase the sense of reality and enables excellent interaction with eye care, making it suitable as a gaming display.” Also “Transparent OLED maximizes the advantages of OLED, enabling the highest level of transparency and picture quality. By applying it to signage, it provides an effective experience to customers, and by applying it to mobility, it can use the dead space to indicate the current operation status or use it for advertisements. In addition, it is possible to create a space of new value and change a creative lifestyle by applying it to life”.

‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ was a conference for exchange of ideas, business relationships, and partnerships with renowned speakers from major companies in the display industry from all over the world. ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ held a business conference on the 7th and 8th, beginning with a tutorial on April 6th.

[2022 OLED KOREA CONFERENCE] Samsung Electronics Joins the OLED TV Market, and the TV Panel Market is Expected to Exceed 20 million Units in 2025

/in /by

At UBI Research’s ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ held on April 6th-8th, UBI Research CEO Choong-Hoon Lee gave a presentation on, ‘OLED Market Review’.

CEO Lee presented the status of the entire OLED industry, market, and outlook with a focus on issues in 2022.

CEO Lee first announced the OLED TV business, a major issue in the recent OLED industry. CEO Lee said, “The biggest issue that has been heating up the OLED industry since the end of last year is OLED TV. There are topics such as Samsung Display’s re-entry into the large OLED business, sales of QD-OLED TVs between Samsung Electronics and Sony, and visualization of collaboration between Samsung Electronics and LG Display.”

In the TV OLED panel demand and supply forecast, CEO Lee said, “If Samsung Electronics purchases OLED panels from LG Display and conducts OLED TV business, LG Display and Samsung Display can supply a total of 12 million TV OLED panels this year. Among them, demand is 11.7 million units, and oversupply accounts for only 3%.” In addition, “With the joining of Samsung Electronics, the demand for OLED TV panels is expected to expand to 13 million units in 2023 and 20 million units in 2025. According to the expanding market, companies need to expand their facilities by the third quarter of this year” he predicted.

CEO Lee continued, “LG ​​Display has been working hard to secure funds for 8.5 generation OLED line expansion since last year, and it is estimated that it will secure additional funds for 45K expansion within this year. With LG Display’s additional measures, the TV OLED panel market is expected to reach 13.5 million units in 2023 and 16 million units after 2024. However, to secure a market of more than 20 million units, it is necessary to plan to invest in the 10.5 generation by next year” he analyzed. He also said, “If Samsung Display invests, 10.5G investment is desirable, but 8.5G investment is expected.” He said, “Whether LG Display invests or Samsung Display invests, a long-term supply contract with Samsung Electronics for 10.5G investment should take precedence. If the investment proceeds, Samsung Display is expected to secure its own funds, but LG Display is expected to require joint investment with Samsung Electronics.”

‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ was a conference for exchange of ideas, business relationships, and partnerships with renowned speakers from major companies in the display industry from all over the world. ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ held a business conference on the 7th and 8th, beginning with a tutorial on April 6th.

 

[2022 OLED KOREA CONFERENCE] What New Technology Will Advance OLED for Mobile Devices?

/in /by

At UBI Research’s ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference Tutorial’ held on April 6th-8th, Dr. Jae-Jin Yoo from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University gave a presentation on, ‘An Overview of OLED Materials and Devices’.

Dr. Yoo explained the paradigm and market prospect of OLED for mobile devices, the structure of each layer, and the light emitting material. Although LCD is still leading the market by introducing mini-LED and other technologies, it is predicted that OLED will lead the display market in the future.

Dr. Yoo explained that among the latest technologies, “LTPO TFT is a technology newly applied to mobile by supplementing the shortcomings of LTPS TFT and oxide TFT process. LTPO TFT is a double-designed display with low electron mobility but no leakage current by changing at least one transistor to oxide in the LTPS TFT process”. He also explained, “In still images, LTPS TFT needs to be driven at 60Hz to maintain the brightness of the screen due to high leakage current, but for oxide TFTs, 1Hz operation is possible because of low leakage current.” Dr. Yoo added, “Although there is an issue that the process of LTPO TFT is more complicated than that of LTPS TFT, it can reduce the total power of mobile devices by 10~15% and it has the advantage that it can be applied to AOD (Always on Display).”

Next, introducing the OLED deposition method and vapor deposition machine, he explained that if the 8.5 generation vertical deposition method, which is currently an issue for IT, is commercialized, it has many advantages in terms of productivity and is a much anticipated technology.

‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ was a conference for exchange of ideas, business relationships, and partnerships with renowned speakers from major companies in the display industry from all over the world. ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ held a business conference on the 7th and 8th, beginning with a tutorial on April 6th.

 

 

[2022 OLED KOREA CONFERENCE] Expected iPhone Shipments to Remain Strong at 249 Million Units in 2022

/in /by

At UBI Research’s ‘2022 OLED Korea Conference’ held from April 6th to 8th, Yasuo Nakane, senior analyst at Mizuho Securities, presented ‘Consumer Electronics/Flat Panel Display Industry What is the Outlook for Turbulent 2022?’ .

Regarding Apple’s iPhone industry, Senior Vice President Nakane said, “The strength of iPhone continued in 2021. iPhone production in 2021 was 234 million units, which was 3 million less than shipments of 237 million units. Sales were 240 million units which made it so that no inventory was accumulated.” He also announced that “In the first quarter of 2022, 62 million iPhones were produced, a 13% increase compared to the same period last year, and 53 million units are expected to be produced in the second quarter”. He analyzed the outlook of 2022, “Considering the strong first half of 2022 and the impact of new product price hikes in the second half of 2022, annual iPhone production in 2022 is estimated to be 249 million units, a 6% increase from the previous year, of which iPhone 14 is estimated to be 83 million.”

Next, regarding the older iPhone models, he analyzed that “iPhone13 series is expected to continue sales for the time being except for iPhone13 Mini. Among iPhone12 series, only iPhone12 will continue to be sold”. He also announced, “Samsung Display supplies panels for all models of the iPhone series, LG Display supplied LTPO models for the first time, and BOE’s panels will continue to be used in iPhone12.” In addition, he predicted, “Suggestions to apply not only LCD but also OLED to iPhone SE3 would continue and iPhone 11’s camera is expected to be used. Face ID would not be applied.”

Regarding the timing of OLED application for iPad and MacBook, Nakane said, “It is expected that two models of iPad air with OLED will come out in the second half of 2024 at the earliest and OLED will be applied to MacBook Air in the second half of 2025 at the earliest.” Finally, “the business plan for the foldable model has not been decided, but it seems that they are interested in a PC-size foldable model rather than a smartphone-sized foldable model. The plan is to release them after 2026.” he predicted.

2022 OLED KOREA Conference Day2 (Session highlights)

/in /by

2022 OLED KOREA Conference Day1 (Session highlights)

/in /by

[China Trend Report] TCL CSOT’s T8 Project to Invest in Generation 8.5 Inkjet Printing Technology

/in /by

 

 

According to the ‘China Trend Report’ published by UBI Research, TCL CSOT plans to apply the generation 8.5 inkjet printing OLED technology to the T8 line. It is expected that some layers will be formed by vapor deposition in the inkjet printing method rather than the complete inkjet printing method. The location is likely to be Guangzhou.

TCL CSOT’s T8 line was scheduled to start construction in March 2022 using the inkjet method, but there were rumors that the schedule continued to be delayed due to investment scale and yield issues. There are also talks about the project being canceled altogether. However, it seems that TCL CSOT has continuously improved its technology by continuously collaborating with JOLED. They also announced related contents at DTC 2021 held in November 2021.

It is is expected that mainly OLEDs for IT and automobiles will be mass-produced at the T8 line. The investment schedule and details of the TCL CSOT T8 project can be found in the ‘March China Trend Report’.

[China Trend Report] Honor Magic4 Series, Panel Supply from BOE and Visionox

/in /by

According to the ‘China Trend Report’ published by UBI Research, Honor, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, announced Magic4 and Magic4 Pro at MWC 2022 held on February 28th.

Both products are 6.81 inches in size. Magic4 has a resolution of 1224×2664 and Magic4 Pro has a resolution of 1312×2848. The peak brightness of both products is 1,000nits and the refresh rate is 120Hz. LTPO TFT and 1,920Hz high frequency PWM dimming technology are applied.

The display panel is supplied by Chinese panel makers BOE and Visionox. The DDIC is supplied by Taiwanese IC chip maker Novatek. BOE supplies panels of three models: Magic4, Magic4 Pro, and Magic4 Pro plus. Visionox supplies panels of two models, Magic4 and Magic4 Pro.

Detailed mass production line and quantity estimation of Honor Magic4 series are included in ‘China Trend Report’. The ‘China Trend Report’ provides various information on the Chinese display industry trends, such as the latest issues of major Chinese display companies, line trends and shipments, equipment disclosures by company, and introduction of new products in China. The report can be inquired on the UBI Research website.

Simbeyond enters new phase of growth with investor and partner ECFG

/in /by

Eindhoven, 25 February 2022. ECFG has acquired a minority share in Simbeyond through Eindhoven Venture Capital Fund II (EVCF II). Simbeyond has developed simulation software (Bumblebee) that can very accurately measure the effects of OLED materials at the device level. This is the first financing round for Simbeyond. The financing will be used to accelerate company growth (R&D and sales organization).

 

The software

Simbeyond offers a software tool, Bumblebee. The software tool is a computer simulation for the use of materials in the engineering process of OLED materials. The current process is often based on trial & error, which means that this is expensive and involves time-consuming and experimental efforts. The software is developed for companies that want to simulate the effects of organic light-emitting or light-emitting diodes at the device level. Customers include research & development (R&D) companies and departments of large tech companies and other relevant R&D institutes (such as universities). The unique approach allows customers to analyze, predict and improve device performance. This leads to a shorter time-to-market and to reduced R&D costs for the electronic devices of today and tomorrow.

Investment objectives

Simbeyond is a technology-driven organization. The past few years have mainly been dominated by product development. The goal in this new growth phase for Simbeyond is to become the preferred supplier of organic materials simulation software for the high-tech industry. Additionally, two more application areas will be materialized into an expansion of the current product line: batteries and nanolithography.

Cooperation

“Simbeyond is entering a new growth phase with ambitious goals and a drive for new opportunities. This investment and collaboration mean not only securing the resources to become the number one simulation tool in the OLED market, but also taking a step forward into new products,” said Siebe van Mensfoort, CEO of Simbeyond.

Hans Bloemen of ECFG: “To measure is to know and Simbeyond does that in its purest form. Bumblebee is only just getting ready to really enter the market. It now needs the right commercial attention with the most suitable profession. The investment ensures that this step towards growth can be realized. In addition to further developing the current market, a step can also be taken in a new market, battery technology. Together we hope to bring this technical gem to fruition.”

About ECFG | Ecfg.nl

ECFG is an independent fund manager that advises, guides and invests in SME companies active in the business-to-business segment. The activities are primarily aimed at strategically and financially supporting innovative, sustainable and promising companies. The broad entrepreneurial investor base and relevant network also offer additional added value. Since the start of ECFG in 2008 and has guided more than 400 entrepreneurs and companies in business development, financing and strategy and realized more than 30 participations. ECGF operates in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The ECFG team consists of fourteen people and is located in the center of Eindhoven.

About Simbeyond | simbeyond.com

Simbeyond is a simulation software company which accelerates development of advanced materials and high-tech devices as used in state-of-the-art display, lighting and signage applications. Organic electronics, such as the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays of present-day smartphones, paves the way for mechanically flexible electronics. The unique approach provided allows customers to analyze, predict and improve device performance. This leads to a shorter time-to-market and to reduced R&D costs for the electronic devices of today and tomorrow. Simbeyond was founded in 2015, as a spin-off launched by the Technical University of Eindhoven (TU/e). The company is located in Eindhoven and its team consists of thirteen people.

 

More information

Simbeyond | Polina Vasilkovska | Simbeyond |  marketing@simbeyond.com

ECFG |  Silvia Dekkers | +31 6 288 30 330 | communicatie@ecfg.nl

[China Trend Report] Significant Reduction of BOE’s Panel Supply to Apple in February and March due to Touch IC Supply Issue

/in /by

According to the ‘China Trend Report’ published by UBI Research, BOE B11 (Mianyang) plant is experiencing difficulties in supplying quantities to Apple due to the supply and demand problem of Touch IC. The report analyzed that BOE’s shipments to Apple have decreased significantly due to the supply and demand problem of Touch IC. As a result, shipments are expected to fall far short of the 2022 target set by BOE.

Along with the Touch IC supply issue, the overall shipments of major Chinese panel makers are also on the decline. According to the report, the total shipment of OLED panels for smartphones in China in January this year was 12.7 million units, a decrease of 27% compared to 17.4 million units in December last year.

The ‘China Trend Report’ provides various information on China’s display industry trends. It covers the latest issues of major Chinese panel makers, including BOE’s reduced shipments to Apple, line trends and shipments, equipment disclosures, and new product lists. The report can be inquired on the UBI Research website.

Foldable Phones Predicted to Exceed 100 Million Units by 2026

/in /by

According to UBI Research’s “1Q22 Small OLED Display Market Track” Small OLED Display (10-inches or smaller watch, smartphone, foldable phone, etc.) shipment in 2021 was 746 million, a 34.4% increase from the previous year’s 555 million. The reason for the increase in shipments compared to 2020 can be attributed to the increased sales of iPhone 12, iPhone13, and the unexpectedly strong sales of Galaxy Z’s Fold 3 and Flip 3.

Compared to the previous year, Small OLED sales in 2021 was up from $26.5 billion to $38.1 billion, a 43.9% increase.

Graphs are categorized by application product; Watch, Smartphone, Foldable Phone.

Since 2019, foldable phones have been on an upward trend. The market for foldable phones in 2021 exceeded 10 million units, accounting for 1.4% of all small displays. It is predicted that foldable phones’ yearly upward trend will result in exceeding 100 million units by 2026, accounting for 9.7% of all small displays.

“1Q 2022, Small OLED Display Market Track” analyzes the production capacity for 10-inches or smaller OLED Displays. Quarterly sales market and shipment market were investigated by these categories; major panel makers, country, generation, substrate, TFT technology (LTPO and LTPS), and by application products (watch, smartphone, foldable phone).

An analysis of ASP and OLED supply/demand by application is also provided. Small OLED Display market forecast data is predicted until 2026 on Excel.

[UBI Research China Trend Report] Chinese Panel Makers’ Total Shipments of OLED Panels for Smartphones in the Fourth Quarter of 2021 Increased by 26% Compared to the Third Quarter

/in /by

26% Increase in Total Shipments of Chinese OLED Panels for Smartphones in the Fourth Quarter compared to the Third Quarter

 

According to UBI Research’s ‘February 1st China Trend Report’, total shipments of OLED panels for smartphones by Chinese panel makers in the fourth quarter of 2021 were 44.8 million units, a 26% increase from 35.57 million units in the previous quarter. By company, BOE shipped 20.9 million units and occupied a 46.7% share, followed by Visionox with 9.7 million units, EverDisplay Optronics with 5.5 million units, CSOT with 5.5 million units, and Tianma with 3.1 million units.

 

By substrate, flexible OLED panel shipments were the highest for BOE with 20.9 million units, followed by CSOT with 5.5 million units, Visionox with 4.7 million units, and Tianma with 3 million units. BOE’s panel shipments increased the most compared to the previous quarter with an increase of 5.3 million units, followed by Visionox by 1.9 million units and Tianma by 1 million units. CSOT’s panel shipments decreased by 300,000 units from the previous quarter.

In the field of rigid OLED panel shipments, EverDisplay Optronics shipped 5.54 million units, a decrease of 80,000 units compared to the third quarter, but maintained the No. 1 position in rigid OLED panel shipments with a market share of 52%. Visionox, in second place, shipped 5.04 million units, up 43% QoQ, chasing EverDisplay Optronics. Tianma’s rigid OLED panel shipments were 120,000 units, accounting for only 1%.

The details can be found in the ‘UBI Research China Trend Report’, and inquiries can be made on the UBI Research website.

China Aims for the Foldable Phone Market with Multiple Foldable Phone Launches

/in /by

Samsung Electronics widely successful release of its foldable phones, Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 3 last year has risen expectations for establishing foldable phones into the mainstream. Chinese companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo are also releasing multiple foldable phones.

As the first foldable phone in China, Huawei has been releasing the Mate X series every year since its launch in 2019. The Mate X and the Mate Xs released in 2020 are 8 inches in size and folds outward. The external display is 6.6 inches with a resolution of 1148×2480 and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9.

Mate X2 was introduced in February 2021 with 8 inches for the internal display and the external display is 6.45 inches OLED with a resolution of 1160 x 2700 and an aspect ratio of 21:9. Colorless PI was applied to the cover window. Mate X2 folds inward instead of Mate X’s outward folding display.

P50 Pocket released in December 2021 is a clamshell phone similar to the Samsung Flip 3. The internal display is 6.9 inches with 120Hz refresh rate and an aspect ratio of 21:9. The cover window is 1.1 inches circular type.

Honor released a foldable phone, Magic V on January 10th 2022.

The internal display is 8 inches with 90Hz refresh rate and the external display is 6.5 inches with 120Hz refresh rate. The cover window is colorless PI. Both internal and external panels are made in BOE B11(Mianyang) line. The initial production is estimated to be 50,000 and the estimated total production volume is 100,000 to 200,000.

According to the sales result, the Visionox panel might be applied to the product.

Vivo is about to release a new foldable, the NEX FOLD. Vivo filed patents for NEX FOLD, NEX ROLL, and NEX SLIDE.

NEX fold’s internal display is 8.03 inches with QHD 120Hz and the external display is 6.53 inches with FHD 120Hz. Both internal and external display has the same refresh rate. The display panel is Samsung Display’s LTPO, and the cover window is planned to be 30 um thickness UTG.

It is planned to be released in March 2022, but no official announcement has been made.

Samsung Display is using UTG(Ultra Thin Glass) for the cover window and most Chinese panel companies are using Colorless PI. Many Chinese companies are introducing foldable phones, but durability issues are reported on many social network media posts. Chinese panel makers still have much to go in terms of quality in technology and production cost when compared to Samsung Display.

SDC, 4Q2021 The Highest Smartphone Shipments 125 million units, Highest market share of flexible OLED 50.1%

/in /by

According to UBI Research Weekly Report, Samsung Display’s OLED shipped 480 million units in 2021. The highest number of shipments were in the 4th quarter at 133 million units and the second highest was in the in 3rd quarter at 129 million units.

Samsung Display OLED application products shipped in 2021 were smartphones, watches, tablet PCs notebooks and TVs. OLED for TVs started shipment in the fourth quarter of last year. It was the first OLED for TV shipment in eight years since 2013 when they had discontinued mass production.

Samsung Display OLED for smartphones shipped 456 million units, which was 94% of the total shipments. OLED for watches shipped 14 million units, just 2.9% of the total shipments.

OLED for notebooks had the most significant growth in 2021. 5 million units were shipped, representing a 2.5 times higher growth than the 1.9 million Tablet PC units shipped.

According to a quarterly analysis of Samsung Display smartphones shipments in 2021, 125 million units were shipped in the fourth quarter, showing the highest performance. This is mainly due to high shipments to Apple in the fourth quarter for OLED for iPhone. In 2021, 102 million units of OLED for iPhone were shipped and 45.4 million units were supplied to Apple in the fourth quarter. Therefore, the market share was the highest at 50.1% in the fourth quarter for flexible OLED shipments.

Flexible OLED and rigid OLED shipments were 190 million units and 257 million units respectively in 2021. The annual shipment market share was 41.6% and 56.5% respectively. Foldable OLED shipments were 8.7 million units, a market share of 1.9%.

 

LG Display Achieves Record Sales in 2021, Swinging a Profit after Three Years

/in /by

As LG Display posted the highest sales ever, at the same time it also made a sharp pivot into a profit for the first time in three years. On the 26th, LG Display announced that it had achieved annual sales of 29.878 trillion won and operating profit of 2.23 trillion won in 2021. “This is the result of the large-sized OLED panels in the premium market, the strengthening of the small and medium-sized OLED business base, and the innovation of LCD structures centered on IT products,” LG Display goes on the explain. While the overall TV market experienced negative growth last year, LG Display led the large-sized OLED business. OLED TV panel shipments grew by more than 70% compared to the previous year, which turned to profit in the second half of the year. This helped reach a break-even point.

Following the previous year’s earnings announcement, LG Display stated, “This year, we plan to expand profitability in stages based on shipment growth of more than 20% compared to the previous year and strengthened business capabilities,” and “From the second quarter, ‘OLED.EX’ will be applied to all OLED TV panel series to accelerate the trend toward OLED in the premium TV market.” OLED.EX is a TV panel that increases screen brightness (luminance) by 30% and reduces bezel by 30% by applying ‘deuterium technology’ and ‘personalization algorithm’ to organic light emitting devices. These are the core elements of OLED picture quality. In the case of small and medium-sized OLEDs, the mobile sector plans to improve profitability by expanding new models and high-end products in the second half of the year and expand to the overall mobility industry. The LCD division will continue its strategy of selection and concentration focusing on IT products.

LG Display also expressed confidence in Samsung Display, which has emerged as a new competitor in the OLED market. When asked about LG Display’s competitiveness compared to Samsung Display’s QD-OLED, Large-Scale Marketing Manager Lee Tae-Jong remarked, “Our competitor’s products have not been released yet, so an accurate comparison will be possible only after the actual launch.” He continued, ”LG Display, which has been in business for more than 10 years is far superior in our overall competitiveness in our products and cost, economies of scale, and customers. We will continue to widen the gap in the future.”

Analysis of 65-inch Premium TV Price Trend in 2021

/in /by

Analysis of 65-inch Premium TV Price Trend in 2021

This is an analysis for the 65-inch TV prices for Samsung Electronics’ QNED TV, LG Electronics’ OLED TV, and Sony’s OLED TV in 2021.

Samsung Electronics started with the 4K high-end models QN90A and the 8K models QN800A and QN900A. The entry-level models QN80A and QN85A were released sequentially. The 4K models QN90A, QN85A, and QN80A were priced at $2,600, $2,200, and $1,700 respectively. The 8K models QN900A and QN800A were priced at $5,000 and $3,500.

Starting with the high-end model G1, LG Electronics launched the entry-level models A1 and C1 models. The launch prices were $3,000, $2,300, and $2,000 for the G1, C1, and A1, respectively.

Sony launched two models, the XR65A80J and XR65A90J. The starting price was $4,000 for the XR65A90J.

In 2021, events such as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Black Friday played a major factor in aggressive marketing by companies.

Samsung Electronics’ 8K models QN900A and QN800A had two prices cuts, the first one for the Tokyo Olympics and then for Black Friday. In the end, the QN900A was lowered by $1,700 and QN800A by $800 than their launch prices. Similarly, the 4K models 90A cut its price by $700, the 85A by $800, and the 80A by $500 from the launch prices, forming an average price of $300 lower than LG Electronics’ comparable models.

LG Electronics’ TVs had also began marketing in June when they were affected by the Tokyo Olympics and averaged a $300 price cut on all their OLED products. In anticipation for Black Friday,  in October they lowered their prices by another $200 on average when compared to their launch prices.

Meanwhile, LG Electronics’ 8K QNED TV 65QNED99UP model was priced at $2,500, the lowest price among 8K models.

Finally, Sony’s XR65A80J model dropped to $1,800 in November, which was a $1,000 price cut from the launch price, but recovered its price to $2,000 in December. No price changes for the high-end model, the X65A90J other than one $200 price cut a month after its launch.

 

Chinese OLED smartphones released in 2021, 62% increase compared to 2020

/in /by

Of the total 226 OLED smartphones released in 2021, China released 175. This is an overwhelming 77.4% share in the market. Korea released 20, which is half of the 39 in 2020. The United States released 16 and other countries released 15.

By size, there were 218 products in the 6-inch range, accounting for 96.5% of the market share, indicating that 6-inch products have established themselves as mainstream. In addition, 3 products in the 8-inch range, 2 products in the 5-inch range and 7-inch range, and 1 product in the 4-inch range were released. All 7-inch and larger products were foldable.

By display design, the punch hole model was released at an overwhelming 173, followed by the notch model at 31, the narrow-bezel model at 15, the under display camera (UDC) and pop-up camera at 3 models each, and 1 product with a home button was released.

Finally, in the display area (D.A), which is the display area to the size of the smartphone, 194 products belonging to 80-90% accounted for 85.8% of the product, 29 products above 90% and 1 product under 80% were released. The home button is now gone, the notch design is reduced, and the average D.A. has increased due to the continuous launch of full-screen smartphones. The product with the highest D.A was 94.9%, which occupies the Honor’s Magic3 series.

[CES2022] Sony Press Conference at CES 2022

/in /by

[UBI Research China Trend Report] BOE Dominates OLED Shipments for Smartphones in October

/in /by

According to the ‘China Trend Report for the 1st week of December’ published by UBI Research recently, Among Chinese companies, BOE maintained the No. 1 position with an overwhelming share in OLED panel shipments for smartphones in October.

According to the report, in the flexible OLED shipments by Chinese companies in October, BOE had the most with 5.2 million units, followed by CSOT with 1.6 million units, Tianma with 1 million units, and Visionox with 940,000 units. In terms of market share, BOE was 59%, followed by CSOT, Tianma, and Visionox with 18%, 12%, and 11%, respectively.

As for Rigid OLED shipments, EverDisplay Optronics had the most with 1.7 million units and Visionox mass-produced 950,000 units. In terms of market share, EverDisplay Optronics accounted for 65% and Visionox 35%. Tianma, which previously mass-produced a small amount of rigid OLED, did not mass-produce rigid OLED panels in October.

As autonomous driving technology advances, the adoption rate of OLED will increase

/in /by

At UBI Research’s ‘OLED Settlement Seminar in the second half of 2021’ held on the 19th, Park Seon-hong, head of the Korea Automobile Research Institute, gave a presentation on ‘the status and outlook of future automotive display development’.

Responsible Park said, “If the autonomous driving technology is advanced, the number or time of driving will decrease, and the change of the interior space is essential because the driver pays attention to the interior environment of the vehicle. Through the change of the vehicle display, the change of the steering wheel to secure space, and the change of the seat, the efficiency of the space that can utilize the interior space can be increased.”

Among the changes resulting from the development of autonomous driving technology, Responsible Park said, “With the change of the display inside and outside the vehicle, the degree of freedom of space within the vehicle can be improved as buttons, switches, and gear knobs inside the vehicle are applied to the display.” In keeping with, the display mounted on the vehicle is also changing to a large-screen, large-area curved display.”

Responsible Park said, “Displays that secure the reliability of autonomous driving by communicating with the outside such as pedestrians and two-wheeled vehicles through external communication as well as the inside of the vehicle are gaining prominence. By displaying information about the vehicle’s condition (acceleration or deceleration, whether it is stopped, etc.), safety issues can be controlled.”

Currently, automotive displays have a high adoption rate of LCD, but OLED can realize flexible displays, and its thin thickness, high contrast ratio, fast response speed, and wide viewing angles make it possible to apply it in complex and diverse spaces inside automobiles in line with the era of autonomous driving. expected to increase. LG Display is already mass-producing POLED for automobiles, and Samsung Display and Chinese panel makers are also preparing for mass-production of OLED for automobiles.

As autonomous driving technology develops, automobiles are emerging as a new concept of ‘rest and comfort’ out of a means of transportation. While the evolution of in-vehicle displays is essential in such a leisure space, expectations are being raised on how much influence OLED will have on the market as a display for automobiles in the future.

Smartphone and foldable OLED shipments expected to exceed 700 million units in 2025

/in /by

At UBI Research’s ‘2021 OLED settlement seminar for the second half of the year’ held on the 19th, UBI Research CEO Choong-Hoon Yi gave a presentation on the settlement of small/mid-large OLED industry and future market prospects.

CEO Yi said, “The total sales of OLED for mobile devices in the third quarter was $10.3 billion, up 23.6% from the second quarter and 64.1% from the same period last year. OLED for phones grew to a meaningful number for the first time to $540 million in the third quarter.”

According to the announcement by CEO Yi, the total shipment of smartphones and foldable phones in the third quarter was 167 million, up 22.7% from the previous quarter and 55.3% from the same period of the previous year. “The smartphone market contracted in 2020 due to the spread of Corona 19 and sanctions by Huawei, but the market is growing out of this situation in 2021 thanks to the popularity of Apple’s iPhone 12,” said CEO Yi.

Comparing OLED shipments for smartphones in the third quarter by panel maker, Samsung Display took 72.9%, followed by BOE and LG Display with 9.4% and 5.8%, respectively. CEO Yi mentioned, “Samsung Display maintained 80% level just a year ago, but BOE is gradually gaining strength as BOE’s production lines are being prepared step by step.” and “In terms of sales, Samsung Display accounted for 79.0%, which is higher than the shipment share, and BOE, 8.8%, which is lower than the shipment share. This result appears because the panels of Samsung Display and LG Display are sold to Apple at the highest price.”

Next, CEO Yi predicted, “In terms of OLED shipments by country, Korea dominates the market with 78.7%, but the Chinese market, which currently accounts for 21.3%, will gradually grow and the shipments of the two countries will become similar in about five years.” He also predicted, “In order for the industry to grow, the top-level set makers in the supply chain are important, and based on China’s numerous set makers and the large domestic market, it is highly likely that the leadership will be transferred to China in about five years.”

In the smartphone market forecast analysis, CEO Yi said, “In 2021, OLED shipments for smartphones and foldable phones are expected to reach 580 million units, and the market will grow by 100 million units in the next two years, reaching 600 million units in 2023 and 700 million units in 2025. We will overcome it,” he predicted.

LG Display Wins Presidential Award for its Automotive P-OLED at the Korea Technology Awards

/in /by

SEOUL, Korea (Nov. 17, 2021) – LG Display, the world’s leading innovator of display technologies, announced today that its Automotive P-OLED display won the Presidential Award, the highest honor for the most revolutionary technology of the year, at the 2021 Korea Technology Awards in Seoul, Korea. This is LG Display’s second Presidential Award after first winning the coveted honor for its outstanding 65-inch Rollable OLED panel at the 2019 Korea Technology Awards.

Hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the nation’s most prestigious technology awards ceremony recognizes companies, research institutes, and universities that have developed groundbreaking technologies and products boasting excellence in performance and domestic industry impact.

Thanks to the self-emissive nature of OLED technology, LG Display’s award-winning Automotive P-OLED display provides incredible picture quality with real black to give drivers high clarity and outdoor visibility during both day and night. In addition to being more eco-friendly than its LCD counterpart, P-OLED has no need for a backlight which gives it a lighter, sleeker, more premium and flexible design.

Notably, it has received the High Visibility Automotive OLED and Eye Comfort Display certifications from TÜV Rheinland, a global independent inspection service. To leverage the diverse benefits of such an innovative and next-generation technology, leading automakers around the world are incorporating this display into their latest vehicles’ infotainment systems.

LG Display’s Automotive P-OLED display is touted by major global automakers, especially when it comes to high reliability even in the harshest environments. The company’s Automotive P-OLED is already globally recognized for its innovative technology, earlier this year picking up the Best New Display Component award at Display Week 2021 which was hosted by the Society for Information Display (SID).

In tandem with the rapidly growing market that is turning out more and more cars with larger multiple displays, LG Display aims to continue leading the market with its unique, differentiated P-OLED technology.

“We are grateful to have been recognized for the Automotive P-OLED technology we developed to bring enhanced safety, design innovation, and ESG values to our consumers,” said Kim Myoung-Kyu, Executive Vice President and Head of the Mobile Business Unit at LG Display. “We will continue to create new and innovative OLED technologies that provide unique and differentiated values to customers, thereby leading the market.”

Merck’s Blue Ink Material Lifetime Announced 65% Improvement Year-over-Year.

/in /by

At ‘Display Insight 2021’ held online on November 4th, ‘Joachim Kaiser’, global application manager of Merck, presented ‘Our OLED solutions – livilux®’. When presenting the ink portion of livilux’s OLED materials, Kaiser noted that “Inkjet printing is the only technology that combines RGB parallel pixel layout with scalability for large display sizes”.

Kaiser announced “Maximizing the performance of IJP devices requires a thorough understanding and optimization of state-of-the-art OLED materials, ink formulations optimized for each application, and the entire device stack” and “Merck can get a lot of benefits from IJP performance improvement from its experience in developing materials for deposition”.

Comparing the performance announced by Merck last year and this year, the luminous efficiency (cd/A) of red increased by 46% compared to the previous year, green by 10%, and blue did not change. External quantum efficiency (EQE) was 34.1%, increased by 20% for red, and 28%, increased by 5% for green, and there was no change in blue like the luminous efficiency. In terms of lifespan, 20% for green and 65% for blue were greatly improved. The lifespan of the red is 4,000 hours based on LT95 (last year’s red’s lifespan was 8,300 hours based on LT95), and it is being optimized to increase the lifetime reduced by improving efficiency.

Kaiser emphasized, “At Merck, we are constantly working to provide solutions to the problems of OLED panel design, such as improving the efficiency of Blue OLED, a new kind of emitter, and RGB side-by-side printing technology.”

BOE will start mass production of iPhone 13 panels from October.

/in /by

BOE will supply OLED panels for Apple’s iPhone 13 in the US. Samsung Display and LG Display were supplying two 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch 60Hz panels with LTPS(Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon) TFT for the existing iPhone 13 panels. And Samsung Display was exclusively supplying 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch 120Hz products to which LTPO(Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxid) TFT was applied. The panel that BOE is supplying with approval to Apple this time is a 6.1-inch LTPS TFT panel. BOE’s panel is expected to start mass production at the end of October if Apple approves it soon.

As for the panels that BOE supplied to the iPhone 12, EVEN process was carried out on the B7 (Chengdu) line, and the module process was carried out on the B11 (Myeonyang) line. The process was carried out separately due to the yield issue of the B7 module line, but from the iPhone 13, the deposition yield of the B11 line has improved and both the EVEN process and the module process are carried out on the B11 line. The total amount of panels that BOE will supply for iPhone 13 is estimated to be 15 million units, and although BOE has a target of producing more than 5 million units within this year, it is expected to be in the range of 2 to 3 million units in reality.

Meanwhile, it is known that BOE is also rapidly developing the LTPO line. The LTPO development speed of BOE’s B11 line is faster than that of the B7 line, and it is known that it already has mass production. At BOE, LTPO development is at a significant level, and attention is being paid to whether it will be able to supply LTPO panels to Apple’s next iPhone 14 (working title).

BOE has recently expanded its supply of flexible OLEDs to Samsung Electronics as well as Apple, and its influence in the flexible OLED market is growing. As BOE supplies new panels to Apple for the first time, attention is focused on how domestic panel makers will respond.

[GLOBAL TECH KOREA 2021] Samsung Display ‘Display Innovation: Form Factor, Energy Saving, Color’

/in /by

At ‘GLOBAL TECH KOREA 2021’ held in September 2021, Changhee Lee, Head of Samsung Display’s Next Generation Research Department (Vice President) delivered a keynote speech on the topic of ‘Display Innovation: Form Factor, Energy Conservation, and Color’.

For the first time in the form factor sector, Vice President Lee said, “The screen-to-body ratio, which was only 50% in the early days, has recently reached over 85%” and “We are in the process of introducing UPC (Under Panel Camera) technology to use full screens in various product groups he said. UPC technology can be applied to laptops as well as smartphones, and he said that advanced technology is needed to gradually increase the resolution of the camera and create the same luminance and color as the surrounding screen.

Vice President Lee said, “In 2010, flat screens evolved into various form factors such as foldables and rollables, and most inconveniences in durability, convenience, and usability disappeared”. In addition, Vice President Lee said, “Active devices such as OLEDs and transistors are placed on a neutral plane and designed to be protected by multiple layers, and a foldable display can be made with UTG with reduced thickness and increased durability”. Vice President Lee continued, “If not only folding but also rollable are made, the volume will be much smaller, and the technology is high enough to be commercialized now”, He said, “Materials with excellent properties that can be repeatedly deformed and restored will be developed and will be employed in various products through technology that can make them mechanically strong”. He said, “Materials with excellent properties that can be repeatedly deformed and restored will be developed and will be employed in various products through technology that can make them mechanically strong.”

In terms of energy saving, Vice President Lee explained that Samsung Display’s ‘Eco Square OLED’ is “a technology that reduces power consumption by removing the polarizer” and “We are further developing this technology to further reduce power consumption” He said. In addition, in terms of software, he said, “When ‘Windows 11 Dark Mode’, which can use OLED display more efficiently than before, is released, it is possible to reduce OLED light-emitting power consumption by more than 25%”.

In the color gamut sector, Vice President Lee said, “The higher the saturation and the wider the color gamut, the brighter the human body perceives it.”, and he said, “We are developing a new index called XCR (experienced color range) and evaluating the picture quality of the display through it”. In addition, he said, “We are developing a display with lower power consumption and higher saturation using quantum dots” and “It has already been applied to LCD and applied to Samsung Electronics’ QLED, and QD-OLED products will be released soon, and QD-LED will also be developed” he announced.

Lastly, Vice President Lee said, “Various sensors are being combined and applied to displays, and they have developed innovatively in various form factors, sizes, picture quality and the application changes have also expanded. Companies in the sector must work together to achieve technological innovation” he emphasized.

[GLOBAL TECH KOREA 2021] Solus Advanced Materials ‘Expansion of new businesses other than light emitting materials such as high refractive filler and TFE’

/in /by

At ‘GLOBAL TECH KOREA 2021’ held in September 2021, Taehyung Kim, Head of Electronic Materials Business Division, Solus Advanced Materials made a presentation under the theme of ‘Solus’ Giant Step To Lead OLED Materials Technology’.

Solus Advanced Materials has monopolized the HBL market for over 8 years as a domestic display material specialist. Director Kim of Solus Advanced Materials said, “During the development of HBL, we also developed ETL with similar chemical structure and important compatibility with HBL. The performance is evaluated as equal to or higher than that of other companies’ top performance, and it will be able to enter the market soon.”

Director Kim said, “Originally, we mainly developed ETL or HBL related to electronics, but it was difficult to develop from the perspective of the overall device, so we developed HTL related to hall.” In addition “The development of HTL was completed about two years ago through joint development with LG Display, and it was approved for large panel use in May” he said. He also said, “The panel supply is gradually increasing and will be expanded to the Guangzhou line by next year.”, “HTL is structurally related to g-prime for mobile, so it is expected that it can be expanded to g-prime on the mobile side,” he said.

                                                 

Solus Advanced Materials is developing not only light-emitting materials, but also high-refractive fillers and TFEs. Director Kim said, “The mass production of fillers will be visible from this year. There are various materials such as epoxy, urethane, and acrylic type, and we plan to mass-produce the refractive index and viscosity control according to customer specifications.”

In the TFE sector, General Manager Kim said, “The permittivity of TFE currently used in the market is 3.0 or higher, and we received a request to lower the permittivity of the monomer by 30% or more to increase touch sensitivity two years ago and have been developing it. “The permittivity of the TFE monomer being developed by Solus is down to 20%, and the UV CUT function has achieved a specification of less than 5% at around 400 nanometers, and it is being promoted and tested by customers.”

Solus Advanced Materials is currently expanding its OLED-related businesses to various OLED-related luminescent materials such as HBL, ETL, and HTL, as well as high-refractive materials and TFE monomers. It is noteworthy in which areas these various business groups can shine in the future.

Small OLED performance in the second quarter of 2021

/in /by

According to the market track on small OLED market performance of less than 10 inches published by UBI Research, Revenue and shipments in the second quarter were about $9.5 billion and 161.7 million units, respectively. QoQ(Quarter over Quarter) revenue and shipments decreased by -14.0% and -5.8%, respectively. Compared to the year over year (YoY), Revenue and shipments increased by 70.1% and 56.3%, respectively.

In 3Q, Samsung Display’s 6G LTPO TFT line capacity is expected to be increased to 60K units. LG Display decided to invest $15,000 in the LTPO TFT line for P6 ph3. The expected equipment installation time is the second quarter of 2022. BOE’s B15, which reviewed the investment in the 6G flexible OLED line, was changed to the 8.5G line for IT manufacturing. Revenue and shipments are expected to increase in the second half of 2021 with the mass production of Apple’s iPhone 13.

Medium & Large OLED performance in the second quarter of 2021

/in /by

UBI Research has published a market track on the market performance of 10-inch and larger OLEDs. Applications include TVs, monitors, laptops, and tablet PCs.

According to UBI Research’s Medium & Large OLED market track, the total revenue in the second quarter were about $1.5 billion, which is a 6.5% (QoQ) increase from the previous quarter and 129.6% in the same quarter of the previous year (YoY). In the second quarter, shipments totaled 5.1 million units, an increase of -3.6% (QoQ) and 40.4% (YoY). Samsung Display’s notebook OLED shipments in the second quarter were about 900K units. LG Display shipped 1.8 million TV panels in the second quarter of 2021.

Although there were concerns about a decrease in the utilization rate of the rigid OLED line due to the decrease in OLED for smartphones sold to Samsung Electronics, the A2 line is gradually being converted to production of OLED for laptops due to the increase in rigid OLED demand. In the first half of the year, two 12K lines were put into OLED production for notebooks, and in the second half, it is planned to increase to three or four lines.

Apple’s iPad, which will be mass-produced by Samsung Display from the end of the year, will use LTPO TFT and hybrid OLED (rigid substrate + TFE).

Samsung Display begins mass production of QD-OLED in the fourth quarter of 2021

/in /by

Samsung Display begins mass production of QD-OLED in the fourth quarter of 2021, a new growth opportunity in the large OLED market

Samsung Display is planning to start mass production of QD-OLED in earnest from the fourth quarter of 2021. The mass production scale is 8.5G 30K/month, and it is expected to be mass-produced mainly for 65-inch 4K resolution panels. Since three 65-inch panels can be produced in the 8.5th generation, about 1 million panels are expected to be mass-produced annually.

At the closing seminar held in the second half of 2020, UBI Research predicted that Samsung Display’s QD-OLED will produce 200,000 units in 2021, 600,000 units in 2022, and 800,000 units in 2025. However, as Samsung Display announced in its second quarter conference call that it will also introduce a monitor product with a smaller QD display than a TV, production is expected to vary depending on the proportion of products..

If mass production begins in the fourth quarter, QD-OLED TV will be unveiled for the first time at the CES 2022 exhibition held in Las Vegas in 2022, and the product is expected to be officially released in the first half of the year.

Joo-seon Choi, president of Samsung Display, emphasized in a recently published sustainability report that “If QD displays are commercialized, new growth opportunities will be created in the large display industry, which has been stagnant for a long time.”

Attention is paid to how much influence Samsung Display’s QD-OLED mass production will have in the large OLED market led by LG Display.

<Expected structure of QD-OLED, Source: UBI Research>

QNED (quantum dot nano-rod LED) structure and core technology

/in /by

Samsung Display research center is accelerating the development of QNED as the next-generation display following OLED.

The reason Samsung Display is developing QNED as part of its large-size display business is that it is the only display that can produce the image quality that Samsung Display’s biggest customer, Samsung Electronics, can satisfy.

Samsung Electronics’ TV business direction, which has the world’s No. 1 TV market share, is to use QD to make color gamut better than OLED, and to use a display that can maximize HDR performance with high luminance and excellent gradation characteristics on a bright screen.

The only display that can satisfy the needs of Samsung Electronics is QNED.

QNED is a self-luminous display and because it uses QD, it has the best color gamut, HDR, luminance, contrast ratio, and motion blur, etc., and is a product expected by Samsung Electronics.

It can be confirmed by the structure that QNED is the display with the best characteristics. QNED consists of a pixel layer with a nano-rod LED on the TFT structure of 3T1C used in large OLEDs, and a color conversion layer consisting of QD and CF (color filter) on top.

In OLED, electrodes (cathode and anode) and electrode line for transmitting a signal to a pixel are located above and below the light emitting material, whereas in QNED, both the signal transmitting electrode (pixel electrode) and electrode line are located on the same plane. In addition to the pixel electrode, the QNED additionally includes a reflective electrode to increase light output efficiency. The pixel electrode serves as an alignment electrode for aligning the nano-rod LED.

< QNED section structure >

< QNED pixel structure >

< QNED pixel planar structure >

Looking at the planar structure of a QNED pixel, a plurality of pixel electrodes are connected in series in one pixel, and a nano-rod LED is positioned between the pixel electrodes. The pixel electrode is on the pixel wall (PW) formed of an insulating material, and each pixel is surrounded by a bank (BNK) to separate regions.

 

The core technology of QNED is driving technology and sensing technology.

The driving technology includes a driving technique for aligning nano-rod LEDs and a driving technique for uniformly controlling pixels that may have a deviation in the number of nano-rod LEDs. The alignment circuit includes switching elements for each pixel, and the switching element applies an alignment signal to the pixel. The alignment state of the nano-rod LED is determined depending on which alignment signal is given to each pixel.

< Drive circuit for alignment >

< Sensing transistor for checking alignment >

The most important driving technology is a technology that supplies current to each pixel so that the luminance can be uniform across the entire screen even if the number of nano-rod LEDs per pixel is different. It is a method of controlling each pixel based on the data read from the sensing transistor.

[QNED Technology Completion Analysis Report] details the sensing transistor, sensing wiring, and sensing signals that can check the nano-rod LED alignment status on the panel.

 

As sensing technology, there are sensing technology (sensing transistor) designed inside QNED and sensing technology used in QNED manufacturing. The sensing technology used to manufacture QNEDs is inherent in inkjet systems. There are three sensing technologies in the inkjet system: the number of nano-rod LEDs in the ink and the viscosity analysis of the solvent, the analysis of the number of nano-rod LEDs sprayed on the panel, and the analysis of the nano-rod LED alignment state.

< Inkjet system configuration >

QNED has already proven that 4K 65 inches can be driven two years ago. Samsung Display is concentrating on finishing work to secure the screen uniformity of QNED.

Samsung Electronics widens the technology gap by applying new technology to ‘Galaxy Z Fold3’.

/in /by

According to the ‘2021 OLED Components and Materials Report’ recently published by UBI Research, the ‘Galaxy Z Fold3’, which is expected to be released by Samsung Electronics in August, has UPC (under panel camera) and pol-less (or color filter on) encapsulation, COE) and S Pen technology are expected to be newly applied.

First, UPC, a technology that realizes the full screen of a smartphone by placing the front camera under the screen, has been mentioned using a transparent PI substrate and various technologies such as laser patterning, but in the end, the cathode electrode is patterned with a laser and the resolution near the camera is different. Thus, it seems that the maximum transmittance was secured. It is analyzed that the transparent PI substrate was not applied to the mass production process due to the high process temperature of the TFT.

Although many panel makers have developed pol-less technology, which replaces polarizers with color filters and low-reflection technologies, they could not be applied because they did not show as much anti-reflection effect as polarizers. The polarizing plate is effective in preventing external light reflection, but reduces the amount of light emitted from the OLED light emitting layer by more than 50%. If the polarizer is removed, more light can be emitted with the same power to the outside, so if the same luminance is implemented, battery consumption can be reduced. Samsung Display seems to have implemented pol-less technology by applying color filters, low-reflection films, and black pixel define layer (PDL).

The S Pen is finally applied with an electro-magnetic resonance (EMR) method, and the 30 um thick product used in the previous work is expected to be used as it is for the UTG. The AES method, which does not require a digitizer, was also considered due to the flexibility issue of the digitizer made of metal, but it is expected that the S Pen will eventually be applied in such a way that the digitizer is located on both sides of the panel.

The ‘2021 OLED Components and Materials Report’ published this time includes not only the development trend of foldable OLED, but also the development trend of mobile devices and materials for TV. It is expected to be of great help to related companies.

<‘Galaxy Z Fold3’ Expected Structure ©2021 UBI Research>

97.5% of 6-inch OLED smartphones released in the first half of 2021

/in /by

Of the 122 OLED smartphones released in the first half of 2021, 119 6-inch smartphones were released, occupying an overwhelming share of 97.5%. Compared to the 6-inch smartphones released in 2018, which accounted for 78% of the total, it has become the mainstream of the smartphone market in just three years. One 5-inch model and two 8-inch models were released, and the 7-inch model was not released. The 5-inch model is Asus’ Zenfone8, the 8-inch model is Xiaomi’s Mi Mix Fold, and Huawei’s Mate X2.

By display design, hole model was released the most with 103, followed by notch model with 13 and narrow bezel model with 6. As in 2020, products with a home button were not released.

Looking at the distribution by resolution, 400~500ppi products were released the most with 64, accounting for 52.5% of the market share, 48 products with less than 400ppi and 10 products with more than 500ppi. The highest resolution product was Sony’s Xperia 1 II, which recorded 643 ppi.

In the display area (D.A), which is the ratio of the display to the size of the smartphone, products belonging to 80-90% accounted for 84.4%, 13.9% of those over 90% and less than 80% were not released. This is analyzed as a result of the disappearance of the home button and the continuous release of full-screen smartphones. The product with the highest D.A was 94.1%, which was occupied by Huawei’s Mate 40 Pro 4G, followed by Huawei’s Nova 8 pro in second place and Honor’s View40 in third place.

Finally, by country, China released the most with 104, followed by Korea with 12, Taiwan with 4, and Japan and Germany with 1 each.