Apple "Announces iPad with OLED Panel"
Samsung to Mass-Produce 8th Gen IT OLED in 2024... LG Reviews New Investment
[Asia Economy Reporter Han Ye-joo] Apple, a major player in the display industry, has started to make moves. Following the iPhone, Apple announced plans to adopt OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology for its tablets and PC products, prompting the industry to accelerate investments in IT OLED.
According to industry sources on the 3rd, as Apple expands the adoption of OLED across its product lines, market expectations for IT OLED are growing. Apple, which recently increased the proportion of OLED-equipped iPhones, plans to release its first iPad with an OLED panel in 2024 and expand the use of OLED in PC products such as MacBook and iMac.
Considering the time required for production line construction and equipment orders, investments must be decided within the year to meet mass production schedules, and the industry expects a large-scale IT OLED order from Apple soon.
Accordingly, South Korea’s leading display companies, Samsung Display and LG Display, are reviewing expansions in IT OLED facility investments despite facing difficult times due to weakening demand in front-end industries such as TVs and smartphones.
Earlier, Choi Joo-sun, President of Samsung Display, stated in his keynote speech at the International Information Display Academic Conference 'IMID 2022' held at BEXCO, Busan, on the 24th of last month, "We will invest in an 8th generation (2200x2500mm substrate size) IT OLED production line aiming for operation in 2024."
The IT OLED is expected to be produced at the L8-2 line of the Asan Campus in Chungnam, which ceased LCD panel production last June, and the investment scale is projected to approach 3 to 4 trillion KRW.
Jung Ho-young, President of LG Display, also mentioned the possibility of new investments in IT OLED during the 'K-Display 2022' exhibition held at COEX, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 10th, stating that "both large OLED and IT panels are compatible" regarding plans to convert TV LCD panel lines.
Compared to the smartphone market, where OLED penetration has risen to around 40%, the IT OLED market is still close to a 'blue ocean.' In the IT panel market, LCD accounts for about 95%, but it is expected to be gradually replaced by OLED.
An industry insider said, "Although demand for IT products has sharply declined due to the global economic downturn in the second half of this year, market expectations for IT OLED remain strong," adding, "Competition among companies to increase market share is expected to intensify."
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