Although Chinese panel manufacturers have recently gained market share, their profitability has been weak due to the high proportion of low-priced products. In contrast, South Korean companies are improving their business structure by focusing on OLED and high-end panel products.

As holiday seasons approach, including China's Singles' Day and Black Friday in Europe and the US, the smartphone panel market has maintained high utilization rates in the fourth quarter of 2025, though price trends have diverged across different panel technologies.

Although the LCD industry supply chain has begun moving from China to Vietnam in the past two years, front-end panel processes remain mainly in China or Taiwan. Sarah Lin, president of Coretronic Corporation, stated that the influx of Chinese component and module suppliers building capacity in Vietnam has created a major test for Vietnam's factory construction speed, human resources, and local culture. After building a new factory in the first half of 2025, Lin believes that Vietnam's manufacturing efficiency is lower than China's.

The third-quarter earnings season for the industry has begun, led by Powertip Technology, followed by Coretronic. The main events are set for October 30, when major names including LG Display (LGD), AUO, Radiant Opto-Electronics, and BenQ Materials will hold their briefings.

Vietnam has grown significantly into a hotspot for companies from South Korea, China, Singapore, and Taiwan to set up factories. The escalation of US-China trade tensions has caused a rapid flood of Chinese companies to expand to Vietnam, drawing significant attention from South Korean businesses already established in the country.

Apple has hit fresh roadblocks in its ambitious attempt to reinvent the iPad with a giant foldable display, according to multiple reports. The device, internally code-named J312, was originally targeted for a 2028 launch, but now, engineers and industry watchers believe it may not arrive until 2029, or possibly never.

China's national subsidy program is nearing its end, and consumer spending momentum has slowed down. During the National Day holidays, TV sales volume and prices both declined. With weakening panel pull-in momentum, the industry is not optimistic about TV sales for the upcoming Singles' Day shopping festival.

LG Display (LGD) is reportedly planning to invest in production line conversion in 2026 for Apple's next-generation iPhone. According to the latest reports from Korean media, LGD began placing orders for related equipment in the fourth quarter and is expected to start installing them in the first quarter of 2026.

AI's rise is boosting demand for PC displays and sustaining stable growth across IT panels, including tablets, monitors, and notebooks, with annual panel shipments expected to reach 650 million units in 2025.

BOE Technology, China's top display maker, is rapidly scaling its OLED presence. In the first half of 2025, BOE shipped 71 million OLED panels, cementing its lead in China and securing second place globally. While strengthening its grip on small-sized displays, BOE is now aggressively expanding into mid- and large-sized IT OLEDs, signaling a direct challenge to Samsung Display's dominance in the premium segment.

China leads in LCD TV panel production, with BOE and TCL CSOT expected to control over 72% of the market by 2026. Over the past decade, global LCD TV panel capacity has become highly concentrated in China, which also hosts the world's largest number of 10.5-generation panel production lines. The first-ever 10.5-generation panel factory depreciation will complete in 2025, with at least one more 10.5-generation plant expected to finish depreciation annually thereafter, further enhancing cost advantages for related products.

The mid-to-large size OLED panel market is set for significant growth in 2025, driven primarily by demand from the monitor and notebook segments. South Korean companies Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD), both of which are dominant players in the OLED sector, are expected to see positive revenue impacts from the market expansion.

The global e-paper industry is entering a new growth phase, fueled by rising demand for color displays and the proliferation of consumer and commercial applications. Leading players—Taiwan's E Ink Holdings, the world's largest producer of electronic paper displays, and Netronix, a major manufacturer of e-reader devices—are both projecting strong momentum through 2025 and into 2026.

Taiwan's top two panel makers have reported their revenues for the third quarter of 2025, with AU Optronics (AUO) and Innolux seeing quarter-on-quarter increases of 1% and 2.82% respectively. In contrast to forecasts predicting lackluster performance during the traditional third-quarter peak season, both companies ended with modest growth over the previous quarter, buoyed mostly by rush orders and stable panel prices.

Global TV shipments have been declining due to lifestyle changes, but large-area panel shipments have continued to grow as consumers increasingly prefer larger screen sizes. However, as TV sizes cannot expand indefinitely, the industry expects growth to begin slowing from 2026, signaling that a key driver of panel capacity absorption is fading, and manufacturers will need to think ahead to adapt.

Taiwan's semiconductor and panel industries were once two of the government-favored sectors with technological advantages. However, China's rapid rise in the panel industry, driven by massive investments leading to overcapacity, has pressured Taiwan's panel sector to transform. Meanwhile, Taiwan's semiconductor industry, led by TSMC's advanced technology, dominates orders for cutting-edge processes, leaving China far behind.

As the industry enters the fourth quarter of 2025, the traditional peak season for TV manufacturers is losing momentum. China's Singles' Day shopping festival stockpiling is winding down, and although Beijing has confirmed a new round of consumer subsidies, the long-standing incentive policy no longer delivers a strong demand stimulus. The earlier front-loading of purchases has capped growth potential for ultra-large TVs.

As the industry enters the fourth quarter of 2025, IT panels are moving into their traditional off-season. With inventory buildup largely completed, demand momentum is fading, and shipments of both LCD monitor and notebook panels are expected to decline from the third quarter of 2025, though panel makers are actively cutting production to keep supply and demand in check. Market forecasts suggest IT panel prices may see a slight decline in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Apple is set to launch a 7.6-inch folding iPhone in 2026, with Samsung Display (SDC) expected to be the exclusive supplier of its OLED panels, capturing about 40% of Samsung's total foldable panel shipments.

The Taiwan Panel & Solution Association (TPSA) completed its 12th-term board elections and announced a leadership transition on October 2. Former vice chairman and AU Optronics (AUO) Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Wei-lung Liau succeeded as chairman, while E Ink Holdings Chairman Johnson Lee assumed the vice chairman role. Innolux Chairman and CEO Jim Hung transitioned from chairman to executive supervisor.

Amid its legal battle with Samsung Display (SDC), BOE appears unaffected and is taking a more aggressive stance in the OLED market with the support of the Chinese government and Apple. According to Korean media outlet Digital Daily, BOE is building an 8.6-generation AMOLED production line in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, with a total investment of about CNY63 billion (US$8.8 billion), planning to achieve a monthly panel capacity of 32,000 sheets (based on 2290×2620mm) through the construction of Phase 1 to Phase 2.

Sharp plans to decide on transferring large-size LCD panel technology to India by the end of 2025, CEO Masahiro Okitsu said, signaling potential expansion of the country's display manufacturing capabilities.

Prices for LCD TV panels stabilized in the third quarter, following months of decline, and remained flat across all sizes in August and September. As the industry moves into the fourth quarter, demand for LCD TV panels is expected to soften. However, Chinese producers are set to scale back output during the National Day holiday. Industry executives anticipate that supply and demand will remain balanced through year-end, limiting price swings; however, a rebound in the first quarter of 2026 cannot be ruled out.

Giantplus Technology, a mid- to small-sized panel maker in Taiwan, expects stronger performance in the fourth quarter of 2025 on the back of rising automotive display orders, particularly from customers in Europe and Japan. The company said fourth-quarter results should outpace those of the third quarter as automakers place larger orders.