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Aug 3, 15:55
Chinese display makers reportedly double down on large LCDs and OLED expansion

China's leading display manufacturers are stepping up investments across both LCD and OLED technologies, targeting larger TV panels and expanding into the fast-growing notebook OLED market as they seek new growth opportunities.

AUO sold three factories within two days, with disposal gains expected to reach NT$17.7 billion (approx. US$548 million). Chairman Paul Peng said the proceeds would be reinvested in high-value products, new technologies and AI-related initiatives.

LCD panels still account for more than 90% of automotive display shipments, but OLED has now crossed a critical qualification threshold in the sector. That progress stems from advances in Tandem OLED technology, which have significantly improved lifetime and reliability. As validation data accumulates and production costs decline, industry researchers expect automotive OLED adoption to accelerate after 2030.

AUO said it moved to accelerate asset monetization in Taiwan by selling another factory on July 30 after announcing a separate disposal. The display maker agreed to sell its C5E plant and related facility infrastructure in Kaohsiung’s Lujhu district to Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) for NT$6.3 billion (US$193.6 million) before tax, with an estimated disposal gain of about NT$4.28 billion.

Chinese display suppliers are expanding into South Korea's automotive supply chain as competition shifts beyond televisions and smartphones toward software-defined vehicles, where cockpit displays are becoming a defining part of the user experience.

AUO's board of directors on July 30 approved a change in senior management, appointing Chief Financial Officer Chang Po-Yi as the company's new president, following Frank Ko's resignation as president for personal reasons.

LG Display (LGD) has swung back to profitability in the first half of 2026, as the shift from LCD to OLED displays in smartphones, tablets, and notebooks drives the company into a profitable first-half for the first time in five years. Even so, concerns linger for LGD's long-term competitiveness given its relatively cautious pace of investment, compared to the aggressive expansion of 8.6-gen IT OLED capacity at Samsung Display (SDC) and Chinese panel makers.
AR smart glasses are shaping up as the next revolutionary device after PCs, smartphones, and smartwatches, but the global optics supply chain still faces a major hurdle: making them light and slim enough for everyday use. Kinko Optical CTO Kuo-hua Wu, however, said Taiwan's semiconductor and optics technologies are well-positioned to break through as the market matures.
LG Innotek reported stronger-than-expected results in the second quarter of 2026, helped by an improving market for camera modules and integrated circuit substrates. According to South Korean media including Financial News and Newsis, the electronics supplier also said first-half revenue exceeded KRW10 trillion for the first time.
Samsung Electronics has introduced Flex Titanium technology in its next-generation foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Z Fold8 Ultra, cutting display module thickness by 10% to make room for a larger battery and improve user experience. According to ZDNet Korea, Samsung is applying the technology to these two models for the first time.

Apple is developing a new MacBook Pro with OLED touch panels and is expected to rely solely on Samsung Display for the screens, according to South Korean media reports citing industry sources. The 14-inch and 16-inch models are said to be targeted for a launch in late 2026 or 2027.

Rising upstream material prices are continuing to pressure the polarizer industry. During the second quarter, polarizer suppliers in China and Taiwan sought price increases of about 10% from panel makers for the third quarter to offset higher costs.