OLED surpasses LCD to become leading smartphone display type

When you buy a new smartphone in 2024, it is now, for the first time, more likely to feature an OLED panel than an LCD panel, according to market research firm Omdia.

For a couple of decades, LCD technology has dominated not just the TV segment but also other market segments, including handheld devices. However, 2024 marks a turning point as OLED technology rapidly transitions from high-end to mid-range smartphones.

- "Chinese display makers are expanding the supply of high-quality AMOLED displays to Chinese smartphone brands at lower prices, rapidly replacing TFT LCDs in mid-range smartphones," said Hiroshi Hayase, Research Manager for displays at Omdia.



In 2023, annual smartphone display shipments reached 1.45 billion units, an increase of 5% year-on-year from 2022. Omdia expects the growth to continue in 2024, with smartphone display shipments in the first half of 2024 projected to be 715 million units, up 9% year-over-year.


OLED will lead from 2024 onwards
A notable shift is occurring within the market: OLED shipments are growing while LCD shipments are declining, leading to a surge in new OLED plant investments as China has surpassed Korea.

Omdia expects OLED to account for 56% of smartphone display shipments in the third quarter of 2024, followed by another significant expansion in the fourth quarter.

- "The launch of the iPhone 16 will significantly boost AMOLED shipments in 4Q 2024, and AMOLED is expected to surpass TFT LCDs throughout the entire year of 2024. AMOLED will lead the smartphone display market in shipments from 2024 onwards," concluded Hayase.


Will accelerate the shift to HDR
The wide adoption of OLED is good news for consumers as it will allow mobile platforms to embrace HDR video standards with improved color and brightness for video, gaming, photography, and more.

The next step will be for makers of IT devices, including tablets, laptops and PC monitors, to adopt OLED. We are currently witnessing the first steps towards this transition.

 Also read: First tandem OLED displays for laptops hit mass production