After an unexpectedly strong first quarter driven by front-loaded demand, the global LCD panel industry is now showing signs of cooling. The momentum, boosted by US tariff exemptions and China's "trade-in" subsidies for home electronics, is fading fast as those tailwinds weaken heading into the second half of 2025.
AUO Display Plus, a subsidiary of AUO specializing in vertical field display solutions, has partnered with S-Bahn Hamburg, a subsidiary of Germany's largest railway operator Deutsche Bahn AG (DB). At the 2025 International Association of Public Transport (UITP) Global Public Transport Summit, they showcased a new concept train featuring AUO Display Plus's industry-exclusive HiRaso display technology. Utilizing cholesteric liquid crystal displays (ChLCD) with reflective and bistable properties, this innovation achieves zero power consumption for information display, supporting DB's transition to greener transportation.
Apple is set to release new iPad Pro models in the latter half of 2025, continuing its transition to OLED displays across its tablet portfolio. As reported by ZDNet Korea, Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD) began mass production of OLED panels for the new iPads in June 2025.
E Ink, a leading e-Paper manufacturer, has partnered with Japan's Oricom to jointly develop the next-generation advertising display billboard "Sustainable Board," featuring the latest color ePaper technology, E Ink Spectra 6.
Apple is reportedly preparing to initiate development of its first foldable smartphone in the second half of 2025, with contract manufacturing partner Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (Foxconn) accelerating design efforts, according to supply chain sources familiar with the matter.
Panel manufacturer Powertip Technology Corp. held its annual shareholder meeting on June 19, approving all agenda items with ease. Despite foreign exchange losses affecting second-quarter revenue, the company anticipates quarter-over-quarter growth thanks to a steady recovery in customer orders. Revenue is also expected to surpass the same period last year.
South Korea's LX Semicon has reportedly secured a position in Apple's supply chain for OLED display driver ICs (DDIs) used in the latest iPad Pro models, marking a significant breakthrough in its diversification strategy. According to ChosunBiz, LX Semicon is now competing directly with Samsung Electronics' System LSI division, which had previously been the sole supplier of DDIs for the iPad Pro's OLED panels.
With both China and South Korea accelerating the construction of high-generation AMOLED panel production lines to target IT applications, the display panel industry has seen a step-up of competition of the new technology and in respond to the trend, JDI Taiwan CEO Raymond Sun believes the trend of adopting AMOLED in IT is unstoppable, especially after 2027.
Following Samsung Display's (SDC) patent lawsuits against BOE and TCL CSOT, LG Display (LGD) recently filed seven technical patent infringement lawsuits against Tianma. This move also appears to carry an implicit warning to Apple.
Epson aims to expand its share in Taiwan's projector market to 50% in 2025, having recorded consecutive growth for its projector sales there over the past four years.
As Chinese companies accelerate their entry into the South Korean market, local tech giants are intensifying efforts to protect their intellectual property (IP). From TV branding disputes to OLED patent wars and semiconductor espionage, South Korea's electronics and display leaders are responding more aggressively to what they describe as growing threats of counterfeiting, trademark abuse, and technology theft.
More coverage
