South Korean media: The supply pattern of Apple MacBook displays will undergo a major change, with BOE taking the first place!
On August 4, South Korean media "Today's Finance" published an article stating that in 2025, the supply pattern of Apple MacBook displays will face a significant turning point. According to the latest report from market research company Omdia, Chinese display manufacturer BOE is expected to surpass 50% of Apple MacBook display supply share for the first time, taking the first place. It is expected that throughout 2025, BOE will supply a total of 11.5 million notebook computer display panels to Apple, equivalent to a 51% share, an increase of 12 percentage points from the previous year.
Apple has been continuously applying LCD technology in its MacBook product line and is preparing to transition to OLED in the coming years. Particularly worth noting is that according to the analysis, BOE's supply volume is expanding, mainly concentrated on the flagship models of MacBook Air - 13.6-inch and 15.3-inch displays.
Therefore, LG Display's market share is declining. LG Display has long been the main supplier of Apple laptop display panels, but it is expected that its supply share will drop to 35% in 2025. This number has dropped by 9 percentage points compared to 2024, and the total supply is expected to decrease by 12.2%, reaching 8.48 million units. This seems to be due to Apple transferring its MacBook Air display orders from LG Display to BOE.
Sharp continues to focus on supplying 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch panels for MacBook Pro, but due to a slowdown in demand for this product line, its supply is expected to decrease by 20.8% in 2025, reaching 3.1 million units. Therefore, Sharp's market share is also expected to fall to around 14%.
It is expected that Apple's procurement of MacBook panels in 2025 will be approximately 22.5 million units, growing only 1% year-on-year.
As a result, most panel suppliers may receive conservative shipment forecasts starting from the second quarter of 2025, but BOE is expected to be an exception and maintain demand centered on MacBook Air.
At the same time, Omdia predicts that Apple will fully introduce OLED technology into its MacBook product line starting in 2026. OLED, with its thin and lightweight structure and excellent image quality, is likely to become the main display technology for future MacBooks. Especially, with Samsung Display expected to start joining Apple's MacBook supply chain in 2026, the current LCD-centered pattern is expected to shift to a new competitive pattern centered on OLED.
Industry insiders in the display sector said, "The expansion of BOE's market share is not only the result of price competitiveness, but also an acknowledgment of its production quality and mass production capabilities. In the competitive landscape after the transition to OLED, the technological competition among Samsung, LG, and BOE will further intensify."
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839526742307852/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.