Last Year OLED Market Share 36%, LCD 64%
Price Competitiveness Key... Panel Price Still 5 Times LCD
[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Samsung and LG are preparing for the Ex-OLED (Extended Organic Light Emitting Diode) era in devices such as laptops, tablet PCs, and XR (mixed reality). Samsung plans to focus on displays for IT electronic devices like laptops and tablets, while LG will emphasize transparent displays as their main products.
Ex-OLED refers to applying OLED panels not only to traditional TVs but also to various other devices. It is a promising field, with the government announcing plans to commercialize it by 2027.
The Korea Display Industry Association and the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology held the "2023 Display Technology Roadmap Presentation" on the morning of the 21st at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry building in Jung-gu, Seoul.
Samsung Display's world-first developed large-area touch-integrated OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode). [Photo by Samsung Display] [Image source=Yonhap News]
At this event, Samsung Display and LG Display presented the trends in Ex-OLED technology and their respective business strategies.
Samsung Display Vice President Cho Sung-chan emphasized, "It is important to expand the application range of OLED for IT electronic devices such as laptops and tablets."
The IT electronic device market has attracted attention as Apple is expected to introduce OLED panels in the iPad around 2024 and in the MacBook around 2026. Samsung Display President Choi Ju-sun announced last year that they plan to invest in an 8th-generation IT OLED production line targeting operation in 2024.
LG Display Group Leader Yeo Jun-ho explained, "The market can be expanded through transparent displays (Ex-OLED)." LG Display is a leader in the large OLED market. They have identified transparent OLEDs for public places such as subways as their next growth engine and started technology development early.
The global display market size is 150 trillion KRW. Among this, OLED holds a 36% share, while LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) accounts for 64%. OLED’s market share is gradually catching up to LCD.
The key issue is price competitiveness. In the fourth quarter of last year, the price of a 55-inch TV panel was $89 (approximately 115,400 KRW) for LCD and $430 (approximately 557,410 KRW) for OLED. OLED panels are still about five times more expensive. The association stated, "The challenge is to expand the application of OLED in premium home appliances and advanced IT."
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