An OLED display uses a new technology called OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes). OLED screens are brighter, more efficient, thinner and feature better refresh rates and contrast than LCD or Plasma.
OLEDs are made by placing thin films of organic (carbon based) materials between two conductors. When an electrical current is applied, a bright light is emitted. Since the OLED materials emit light, a backlight is not required (unlike LCDs).
Mobile phones that boast OLED screens are rapidly becoming more prevalent, with over 500 million AMOLED screens annually - mostly to satisfy demand from mobile phones. Samsung has been using AMOLEDs in its high-end phones for many years, and most phone makers are also adopting OLED displays (including Apple, LG, Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, Lenovo, Motorola, and others).
OLED displays are advancing quickly, and today smartphone AMOLED displays outperform LCDs in all parameters - except the price which is still at a premium.
For a complete list of smartphones and mobile phones with OLED displays, click here.
Omdia says that small-size (under 9") AMOLED display shipments dropped 6% in 2022 to 762 million units, due to lower demand for smartphones.
Samsung remains the leading AMOLED maker, with a 56% market share (by unit), down from 61% in 2021, with BOE in the second plane (12%) and LG Display in the third place (11%). The next producers by shipments are Visionox and Everdisplay.
DSCC estimates that the OLED market will contract 7% in 2023, by revenues, to reach $38.7 billion. In terms of shipments, there will be a 1% decline from last year.
The two main OLED markets, smartphones and TVs, will both decline - OLED smartphone revenues will decline by 8% in 2023 (shipments will remain the same), while OLED TV panel revenues will drop 15% (12% by shipments).
Samsung Display launched a new web site, called OLED Finder, in which you can choose your phone model to see whether it uses an OLED produced by Samsung Display.
This is a marketing play by SDC, that aims to establish the superiority of Samsung's own OLED panels, over competing panels made by LGD, BOE, Visionox, etc. The website does not include all phones though that use OLED displays - for example it does not include any of Apple's iPhones.
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.
According to reports from Korea, BOE is developing smartphone OLED displays for Apple's iPhone 15 range, but it is facing technical hurdles.
Specifically, the iPhone 15 design has a camera (and FaceID sensors) punch-hole inside the OLED, and BOE's panel suffer from light leakage from the OLED into the camera hole area.
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.
DSCC says that OLED panel revenues were $12.6 billion in Q4 2022, down 3% from Q4 2021. Shipments declined by 7% compared to last year.
For the full year 2022, revenues reached $41.7 billion, a 1% decrease from 2021. AMOLED for smartphones shipments (units) decreased by 1%, while OLED TV panel shipments decreased by 9%. Some OLED segments grew in 2022 - AR/RV, automotive, monitors, and tablets.
Samsung Electronics reported its financial results for Q4 2022, with revenues of $57.3 billion, and an operating profit of $3.5 billion.
Samsung says that the "business environment deteriorated significantly in the fourth quarter due to weak demand amid a global economic slowdown". SDC's mobile AMOLED panel business earning declined, as demand for smartphones fell, but its large-area panel business seen a smaller loss as it is increasing sales of QD-OLED panels.
According to reports, Samsung Display has appealed to the US ITC asking to ban aftermarket and refurbished AMOLED displays from entering the US.
Today it is possible to repair a smartphone display and replace the screen - and there are companies (mostly independent outlets) that offer lower cost displays - which could refurbished ones, aftermarket imports - or even lower cost alternatives produced by other makers. If the ITC approves Samsung's request, these will not be available anymore, and only original Samsung AMOLED displays will be allowed.
This is a sponsored post by Amorphyx, where display industry consultant Ian Hendy has interviewed Amorphyx's CEO John Brewer
Q: Can you start by telling us a little about what Amorphyx does, John?
Amorphyx has several fundamentally new technology platforms that provide for TFT performance improvements in three areas: (1) Switching speeds, with options to move to the Tera-Hz range ultimately, (2) Power, where the IGZO AMeTFT can achieve even lower power performance than today’s LTPO OLED Pro Motion displays and better refresh range, and (3) Small transistor size.
Our technology platforms are lower cost than the alternatives, and move from amorphous and crystalline semiconductor approaches, to devices based on different effects that do not have a semiconductor at all, yet can still drive a display, drive current, deliver grey scale and switch very fast. Or they can operate a flex IC at higher clock speeds than known today.
For now, our main commercial focus is on IGZO AMeTFT which is fundamentally a potential replacement transistor for LTPS or LTPO used in modern OLED phones and has the capability to replace more highly compensated LTPO circuits in modern Smartphone displays due to enhanced stability.
