New data from Omdia has revealed that OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) technology, which began with small displays under 10 inches two decades ago, is set to reach new heights in 2025. With advancements in technology, capacity and cost, OLED is poised for significant growth. Over the years, OLED has outperformed LCD displays in key areas such as color saturation, slimness, weight, flexibility and contrast. These advantages have accelerated the transition from LCD to OLED, particularly as production scales expand, especially in China.
According to Omdia’s latest OLED Display Market Tracker, small to medium OLED shipments are expected to surpass one billion units for the first time. The milestone includes displays ranging from 1-inch to 8-inch, covering a wide array of applications such as game consoles, AR/VR/MR headsets, near eyeglasses and head-mount displays, automotive displays, smartphones, sub displays, smartwatches and industrial displays.
OLED technology has seen significant growth in the smartphone market, driven by China OLED makers such as BOE, ChinaStar, EverDisplay, Visionox and Tianma as along with the vast technological advancements from Korean giants Samsung Display and LG Display. Additionally, OLED displays are expanding into the new applications including AR/VR and automotive displays.
David Hsieh, Senior Research Director, Displays, Omdia highlights, “Despite its higher cost and more complex manufacturing, OLED has proven ideal for small to medium displays due to its slim design, lightweight, excellent picture quality, efficient power consumption and flexibility. Beyond replacing TFT LCDs in these applications, OLED enables innovative form factors like ultra-lightweight and foldable designs. Shipments of small to medium OLED display are projected to peak 1 billion units in 2025.“
Conversely, display manufacturers are refining OLED production processes while scaling up capacity scale with innovations such as Gen8.6 fabs, LTPO+ backplane, COE, fingerprint-on-display technology, under display cameras, hybrid OLEDs, Tandem RGB OLEDs, mask-less OLED photolithographic deposition and ink jet printing. These new developments aim to elevate OLED’s value proposition beyond mere volume growth.
Hsieh added “ However, new players are beginning to challenge the dominance of OLED. Samsung Display and LG Display have introduced stretchable Micro LED displays, while display manufacturers like AUO and Tianma are initiating mass production of small to medium Micro LED displays, supported by gradual improvements in cost and product readiness. After reaching its peak, small to medium OLED displays are expected to enjoy a golden era lasting for decades, though they may eventually be overshadowed by the emergence of Micro LED Display.“
