Foldable OLEDs: introduction and market status

Samsung Display demonstrated many OLED technologies at Display Week 2023, which we'll detail below. It seems that the main new technology was the Sensor OLED Display, which is an OLED with an embedded sensor that can perform fingerprint sensing in addition to blood pressure, heart rate sensing and stress level sensing (all from reading the finger), which the company says is the first such display in the world.

The Sensor OLED Display embeds light-sensing organic photodiodes (OPDs) inside the display itself, which allows it to perform the sensing functions all over the display. Samsung explains that as OLED light is reflected differently depending on the contraction and relaxation of the blood vessels inside the finger, the OPD senses the light when it returns to the panel, and converts it into health information.

Display Week 2023, the industry's premier event, is now over, and it was a great week. We had dozens of meetings and saw many next-generation display technologies. As we go over all materials, we will upload new stories to detail the displays on show.

In the meantime, here are our key takeaways from this show:

China's largest OLED substrate (carrier) glass production fab has initiated production, with full production is expected by August this year.

This is the first phase of the production hub planned at the Weifang Optoelectronics Display Materials Industrial Park, in Shandong province. Total investment in this line was 1.4 billion yuan (around $200 million USD), and the construction of the 2nd phase in this project has now started as well. The total investment in the four planned production lines will reach around $720 million USD. 

DSCC says that BOE's market share in the flexible (and foldable) smartphone OLED market has risen to 27% in Q1 2023. BOE flexible and foldable OLED panel sales grew 81% in Q1 2023 compared to last  year, as the company enjoys growing sales to Apple, Huawei, Oppo, Realme, Vivo and ZTE. BOE is mostly taking market share from Samsung and LG, while Tianma's market share is also on the rise.

DSCC estimates that flagship smartphone shipments grew 17% in the first quarter, with flexible OLED smartphone shipments growing 18% and foldable ones growing 4%.

According to a new report by The Elec, Samsung displays for Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 phone series will use the same material stack (M12) that were used in the iPhone 14. The M12 was used in the upper-range iPhones 14 series, but this year in the iPhone 15 series, all four models will use the same material stack.

The Elec also says that Samsung's next foldable phones will also use the same M12 stack, used in the previous generation foldables (Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4).

DSSC says that more smartphone makers will join the foldable phone market in 2023, with 37 new models introduced (up from 19 in 2022) - including new models from Google and OnePlus. DSSC says at least 16 new clamshell phones will be released, at least 20 in-folding type and one new out-folding device.

Looking at foldable smartphone shipments, DSSC says that the market will grow 45% to reach 18.6 million units, as performance increases and price decreases.

DSSC says that 3.1 million foldable smartphone shipped in Q4 2022, a drop of 48% compared to the previous quarter (and 26% compared to Q4 2021). This is the first time that the foldable smartphone market contracted.

DSSC says that the market was "overwhelmed by the launch of the iPhone 14 Series". Worsening global economic conditions also reduced demand. In the full year 2022, 12.9 million foldable phone shipped (a 62% increase over 2021), led by Samsung with a 83% market share.

LG Display has an impressive presence  at CES 2023, showing many OLED displays, products and prototypes.

The video above starts with LG's automotive displays, which include new 18" slidable OLEDs and some more OLED and LCD displays.

As was reported two days ago, Samsung is showing a new AMOLED display at CES 2023, that is both foldable and rollable.

The so-called Flex Hybrid OLED opens up from 8-inch when closed, to 10.5" when opened - and 12.4" when fully rolled up.

According to a report from Korea, Samsung Display will unveil a new display at CES 2023, which is both foldable and slidable. The display is 8-inch in size when folded, opens up to a 10" display when unfolded, and then can be slided further to 12.4".

The display will be shown in a private booth, which will not be open to the public. It is likely that this display is still at an early stage of development, as there are many challenges such as durability and quality that Samsung will need to overcome. The report suggests, though, that Samsung is ready to soon commercialize such a panel.