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Oct 23, 14:46
Apple reportedly taps BOE for LCD iMac development, keeps OLED timetable in question
Apple has reportedly asked BOE Technology and other panel makers for technical information on LCD panels for a future iMac, raising questions about the pace of its OLED transition. The potential LCD model's launch around 2029 overlaps with industry expectations for the first OLED iMac in 2029-2030.
LG Display's large OLED business is shifting its growth from televisions to PC monitors, and the change is now large enough for the company to plan restarting idle factory capacity. Its automotive business is moving the other way. War, inflation, and a slowdown in European electric vehicles have weakened demand for its car OLED panels, leaving older low-temperature polycrystalline silicon LCD (LTPS-LCD) technology as the steadier earner.
LG Display is presenting FLiPP, its new OLED patterning process, as its answer to competitors' large IT OLED factories, but it has not yet committed to building a line. On its third-quarter earnings call on October 22, executives outlined the process's advantages and said, "the size or the timing of such investment and production have not been finalized yet."
AUO is entering the next chapter of its transformation as Chairman and CEO Paul Peng establishes a "quasi-holding company" model, turning its three major operating pillars into separate corporate entities to sharpen performance evaluations and resource allocation while distinguishing core from noncore businesses.
Apex Science & Engineering is expanding its optoelectronics business in automotive and medical markets, with booked but undelivered orders worth approximately NT$105.7 million (US$3.24 million). Exports have accounted for 73% of the division's sales since the start of 2026, highlighting its exposure to international demand as it develops display modules for industrial, consumer, and public-sector applications worldwide.
Samsung Display (SDC) currently supplies more than 70% of the OLED panels used by major global laptop brands, intensifying concerns over supply and pricing risks tied to dependence on a single supplier. Laptop makers are therefore gradually adjusting their procurement strategies to build more diversified sources.
Soaring memory prices are intensifying cost pressure across the display industry, prompting some smartphone manufacturers to downgrade panel specifications. Market estimates indicate that memory's share of flagship smartphones' bill of materials (BOM) cost is nearly six times that of displays, raising concerns that smartphone display technology could regress by about five years.
After unveiling its first smart home display, the US$299 HomeView, Apple is reportedly developing a more powerful high-end model as it expands its smart home ecosystem. The device could arrive as early as 2027 with a motorized robotic arm and a larger display.
Samsung Display (SDC) is reportedly advancing both micro-patterned OLED (MPO) and inkjet-printed OLED technologies in parallel, expanding its non-fine metal mask (non-FMM) RGB OLED lineup. SDC is currently validating high-resolution fabrication processes using a 7-inch engineering sample for MPO, while evaluating a pilot line for inkjet printing, with initial commercial targets focused on IT panels such as notebooks and desktop monitors.
Growing demand for AI servers, advanced packaging, and data centers is reviving interest in idle LCD plants, with companies acquiring and converting existing sites into semiconductor packaging substrate lines, advanced packaging facilities, and AI computing hubs. LG Innotek is reportedly evaluating the acquisition of an LCD plant operated by LG Display, following similar deals in Japan and Taiwan.
Surging memory prices are forcing e-reader makers to raise prices, weakening demand and clouding E Ink Holdings' 2026 outlook. E Ink has cut its revenue-growth forecast, while Netronix expects shipments to remain flat. The companies are looking to electronic shelf labels, advertising displays, and products to offset pressure on consumer electronics.
Gaming demand is reshaping the OLED panel market, with OLED monitor panel shipments forecast to surpass TV panel shipments for the first time in 2028. South Korean panel makers are accelerating their push into IT and monitor applications, while Taiwan-based brands Asus and MSI rank among the leaders in OLED monitor shipments.