You can’t knock a sustained R&D effort.
Samsung and LG are rumored to be looking to corner the market for midsize OLED panels and are investing billions into creating new production lines for next-generation displays slated to appear in future iPad and Mac models.
It’s also been rumored that Apple is working to incorporate OLED displays into its 2024 iPad Pro models as well as similar displays for its MacBook Pro notebooks in 2026.
Manufacturing larger OLED displays has typically been more difficult than producing smaller screens like the ones utilized in the iPhone and Apple Watch. But Samsung and LG are investing in new OLED production lines that use next-generation technology to produce larger displays and squeeze out Chinese rivals, according to Nikkei Asia.
Per the article, Samsung has invested $3.05 billion to install OLED production lines at its main campus in Tangjeong, South Korea. Meanwhile, LG Display, on the other hand, is said to have spent $2.5 billion on production lines for midsize OLED panels at its factory in Paju.
Samsung OLED panels are made from sixth-generation glass substrates, measuring 1,850 by 1,500mm. The new production lines will produce panels from 8.6-generation substrates, which measure 2,620 by 2,200mm and more than double production efficiency.
LG isn’t presently matching Samsung’s push for next-generation technology quite as quickly and will eventually move up to sixth-generation substrates.
To create panels, circuits are constructed onto glass substrates, which are then separated. Utilizing larger substrates could result in the creation of more panels. Still, as the size of the substrate increases, the technological processes become more intricate. This change, in turn, can result in lower production yields.
Such a move on Samsung and LG’s part helps companies like Apple fend off Chinese firms that currently dominate the LCD panel market. Intense competition from Chinese manufacturers is causing Japanese, South Korean, and Taiwanese firms to reduce the size of their LCD operations. Chinese companies such as BOE, Visionox, and Everdisplay Optronics are also moving to expand their OLED production capacity. As a result, although Samsung and LG have approximately 80 percent of the worldwide OLED market, Chinese suppliers are steadily gaining a share of the OLED market.
Samsung is expected to begin mass production of midsize OLED panels in 2026, just in time for the new MacBook Pro line. It’s also thought that the company may be able to produce OLED panels for the 2024 iPad.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and Nikkei Asia