LG Display is expected to start manufacturing Gen 8 OLED panels aimed at IT devices a year later than rival Samsung Display.
Despite this, LG Display is expected to certainly win orders for its panels from Apple and begin supplying no later than 2026, Choong Hoon Yi, CEO of analyst firm UBI Research, told a seminar in Seoul on Wednesday.
Samsung Display is the only display panel maker that started spending on Gen 8 OLED production. LG Display and BOE are yet to follow as of yet.
This delay from LG Display stems from the company suffering losses from taking longer than expected to transform its existing liquid crystal display line to OLED, Yi said.
In April, Samsung Display said it expected to start production of Gen 8 OLED two to three years from now, so it will begin in 2025 at the latest.
Meanwhile, the UBI Research CEO said Samsung Display and LG Display were in a more advantageous position than BOE in Gen 8 OLED as they have Apple as a guaranteed customer.
BOE’s position is not as clear the company is facing difficulty in servicing Cupertino’s orders for iPhones at the current stage, he said.
BOE built three Gen 6 OLED factories to supply OLED panels for iPhones but only one of them is properly operating, Yi noted.
This means BOE will likely start spending on Gen 8 OLED much later than its rivals.
