Samsung Display (SDC) is expected to formally expand mass production of OLED panels for Apple's foldable iPhone starting in September 2026. Although the ramp-up for the foldable iPhone had previously been pushed back because production delays hit some components, including the hinge and substrate, the new OLED mass production schedule suggests SDC can still meet its full-year production target.

Indium phosphide (InP) is emerging as one of the tightest supply constraints in AI data-center optical interconnects. Lumentum CEO Michael Hurlston has said publicly that the supply-demand imbalance for InP has become more severe than the shortages seen in DRAM and NAND memory, making the material a potential bottleneck as data centers scale high-speed optical links.

Micro LED maker PlayNitride Inc. expects the technology to enter commercial optical communications applications within two years, expanding beyond displays into AI devices, data center optical transmission, silicon photonics and co-packaged optics (CPO).

LG Electronics is bolstering sales of home appliances, TVs and other consumer products through innovation and product segmentation. On the 1st, LG said it will launch new air purifiers and edge purifiers to meet air-care demand in small homes and other diverse living spaces.

Qisda has been expanding its display, commercial, and industrial businesses beyond traditional desktop monitors into medical, rugged, automotive, unmanned vehicle, drone, and low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite applications. Its Commercial and Industrial Group (CIG) has now made physical AI a core priority. CIG aims to extend Qisda's products from underwater, across land, and into the sky and outer space, building a full physical AI ecosystem.

As strong AI demand continues to soak up semiconductor capacity, some ICs and passive components are seeing shortages and longer lead times. Qisda's display maker Data Image has stepped up policy-driven inventory buildup, with some industrial control products now carrying supply lead times of as long as one year and materials for the first and second quarters of 2027 already secured in advance.

Samsung Electronics' first tri-fold handset of 2025, the Galaxy Z TriFold, has repeatedly sold out, but with global shipments of only about 30,000 units, it functioned more as a technology showcase. A second-generation model is expected in the second half of 2027, with thinner designs, durability, and mass production capability as the next focus.

Chinese panel makers' investment in next-generation OLED production is beginning to translate into reported sales at South Korean equipment suppliers, with several vendors posting sharp first-half revenue gains and large order backlogs providing further visibility as new Chinese fabs move through installation and ramp-up.

Apple is reportedly negotiating lower unit prices with South Korean OLED panel suppliers as surging prices for high-performance mobile DRAM, NAND flash, and other memory chips threaten its gross margin. The company is seeking to cut OLED procurement costs by offering larger orders in exchange for discounts.

TCL has reportedly stopped using OLED panels from its own TCL CSOT unit as it expands its monitor lineup, instead turning again to LG Display (LGD), while Asus is said to have halted use of BOE Technology Group (BOE) OLED panels after about one month. The moves underscore a growing gap in high-end OLED technology led by South Korean panel makers.