Thanks to the rising use of OLED as an alternative to LCDs in mobile-phone displays, worldwide OLED panel market revenue expanded to $408 million in 2004, up 63 percent from $251 million in 2003, iSuppli Corp. said today.
Among OLED vendors, rapid sales growth in 2004 for these displays allowed Samsung SDI to leverage strong presence in the mobile-phone business to take the top rank for the global OLED panel market, garnering 44 percent of unit sales. The company replaced Pioneer of Japan as the leading OLED supplier. Samsung’s OLED shipments were boosted by internal sales to its mobile-phone business.
OLEDs are currently being utilized as the main display of mobile phones, as opposed to being a secondary display, as has been the case until recently. Mobile phones also are increasingly using color OLED panels.
For the number two OLED vendor spot, Taiwan’s RiTdisplay edged out Pioneer with 22 percent of sales. RiTdisplay has made a rapid entry into the nascent market for OLED displays in MP3 players than its competitors. Pioneer slid to third place with 20 percent of OLED sales.
