China's BOE has spent approximately six months trying to resolve recurring glass substrate breakage at its Gen 8.6 OLED plant in Chengdu, raising concerns about production stability as the display maker seeks approval to supply panels for Apple's iPads.
Samsung Display has resumed construction at its second campus in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, reviving a long-dormant OLED project just as the foldable smartphone market is expected to swing from a weak first half of 2026 to a stronger second half.
With global TV demand slowing and panel prices continuing to fall, display makers are facing intensifying profit pressure. Analysts say the industry's bottleneck extends beyond low-priced Chinese competition and reflects a broader reshaping of the consumer electronics value chain, with OLED's next growth phase likely to depend on lower manufacturing costs and wider adoption in IT devices.
