South Korean media: China's smartphone OLED panels have surpassed South Korea for five consecutive months!
On November 16, the South Korean media company "Etoday" published an article stating that China has surpassed South Korea in the smartphone OLED panel market for five consecutive months. This means that South Korea's long-standing "OLED superpower" status is being challenged. People are increasingly worried that if South Korea's technological strategy fails, its dominant position in the large OLED market such as TVs may shift to China.
According to data from market research company Omdia, China's smartphone OLED panel monthly shipment volume reached 39.3 million units in August, while South Korea reached 38.5 million units. This was the first time that China's smartphone OLED panel shipments exceeded those of South Korea in August. It is also the fifth consecutive month since April that China has surpassed South Korea.
Chinese panel manufacturers have made significant progress. BOE shipped 12.1 million units in August, an increase of 12% compared to the previous month and 24% compared to the same period last year. CSOT and Tianma shipped 7.5 million and 8.6 million units respectively, both achieving double-digit growth compared to the same period last year. With the addition of Visionox, the market share of the four major manufacturers has all increased.
Omdia analysis said, "Chinese main panel manufacturers are rapidly increasing their market share by expanding production and innovating OLED structures at the same time."
In fact, Xiaomi recently launched the flagship model Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, which for the first time applied 'S-Stripe' structure OLED panels to smartphones. The panel was provided by CSOT, based on a 6.85-inch flexible OLED display, with 9.38 million sub-pixels and a resolution of 419 PPI. Compared to the existing PenTile scheme, its clarity and color reproduction have been significantly improved.
Although most Chinese companies have achieved growth, South Korean companies' shipments have shown a polarized situation. Samsung Display shipped 32 million units in August, an increase of 16% compared to the previous month and 13% compared to the same period last year. The company focuses on high-end smartphone panels and demand for flagship products, defending its market share.
At the same time, LG Display's shipments in July were only 6.5 million units, a decrease of 14% compared to the same period last year. This indicates that LG Display's main smartphone OLED customer Apple has limited its sales diversification.
Additionally, Chinese companies also pose a threat to South Korean companies in markets such as large-screen televisions. Chinese companies are accelerating their entry into the OLED market, targeting the low-end market such as LCDs, and reinvesting profits into OLED.
According to a survey by the Korean Display Association, South Korea's share in the global OLED market fell by 6.4 percentage points from 73.6% in 2023 to 67.2% last year. At the same time, China's share rose by 7.6 percentage points from 25.7% to 33.3%, narrowing the gap.
A South Korean industry insider said, "The speed of China's technology diffusion exceeds expectations. South Korea's leading position in the large OLED market may be shaken, and it is urgent to maintain the strategic advantage in basic technologies such as materials and processes."
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848910959655243/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.