During Display Week 2023, BOE showcased a 15" 2560x1600 rollable OLED display.
The display offered a rollable radius of 10 mm (outwards), and can roll 50 mm of its length, changing from the full 15" 16:9 display to a 13.6" 24:9. This is not as impressive as Samsung's rollable demo that grew 5 times its original rolled size.
During DisplayWeek 2023, BOE demonstrated a new OLED microdisplay. The panel is 1.3" in size, and it offers a 3552x3840 resolution (4031 PPI), a refresh rate of 90Hz, and a color gamut of 90% DCI-P3.
This is BOE's largest and highest-resolution OLED microdisplay to date. BOE's current OLED microdisplays, already in production, include a 0.39", 0.49" and 0.71" FHD panels (all of which are available on the OLED marketplace, by the way).
BOE has plans to construct an 8.5-Gen AMOLED production line with a capacity of 30,000 monthly substrates to produce IT displays for laptops, tablets and monitors. The company aims to build the B16 factory in Chengdu, Sichuan.
Asus ZenBook 17 Fold OLED (BOE panel)
According to Korea's ETNews, BOE is facing delays with its B16 plans. The company is seeking support from the local government, but it has yet to gain support.
BOE has started producing a new OLED microdisplay - a 0.49" Full-HD panel that offers a relatively low brightness (up to 700 nits). This new panel joins other microdisplays by BOE, including 0.39" and 0.71" ones, all with the same FHD resolution.
This new OLED microdisplay is listed at the OLED Marketplace, and we have access to this display. Contact us if you are interested in this display. We also list BOE's 0.39" FHD panel, and BOE's 0.71" one.
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%.
Most analysts seem to agree that global demand for OLED displays is set to slow down in 2023. DSCC says that revenues will decrease 7% in 2023, led by a drop in demand for OLED smartphone and TV displays. Omdia also agrees, saying that OLED fab utilization remains low.
China-based Sigmaintaell, meanwhile, is optimistic on China's own OLED industry, expecting production to jump 40% in 2023. Sigmaintell says that Chinese phone makers are increasing their adoption of OLED displays in high-end and mid-range models. The company's analysts expect over 220 million Chinese OLED panels to ship in 2023, and China's OLED market share to rise to 38%, up from 28% in 2021.
According to Business Korea, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) launched a investigation to check whether BOE infringes Samsung's OLED patents. This is a second step in Samsung's' efforts to ban BOE's AMOLED panels in the US, following a request to ban aftermarket AMOLED panels in the US.
This will be interesting to watch, especially as BOE aims to become a supplier for Apple's future iPhone displays.
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.
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.
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.
