Is there a world-wide OLED replacement screen shortage?

Around August 2016 we started hearing reports of a tight OLED supply and a shortage of AMOLED panels. Chinese mobile phone maker Oppo, for example, confirmed this shortage of AMOLED display panels for the R9 (also known as F1 Plus), and the company's president announced that Oppo will release an LCD variant called R9km.

According to some new information we have, some countries (including the Netherlands and France, and some parts of the US too) are experience a shortage of replacement OLED screens for Samsung's mobile phones. This is true for Samsung's most popular devices - and for both rigid (glass-based) and flexible OLED screens.

Apple is reportedly ordering a massive amount of AMOLED panels in advance of its 2017 iPhone launch, and it seems that healthy OLED phone sales in China caused SDC to meet its production limit and the supply is current tight. OLED makers are increasing capacity, but according to estimates this shortage will continue well into 2017.

Some phone makers in China are worried about this OLED shortage and are reportedly going to establish an alliance to secure capacity.

Posted: Dec 02,2016 by Ron Mertens