Samsung Display is expected to manufacture 18 million units of foldable OLED panels next year, according to analyst firm UBI Research’s forecast on Sunday.
The South Korean display panel maker is expected to build more foldable OLED modules line next year, the firm said.
Its subsidiary Dowooinsys, which processes glass, will also expand its lines to process ultra-thin glasses (UTG), which are used as cover windows on the panels, UBI Research said.
Dowooinsys receives UTG mother glasses from Germany’s Schott.
Samsung Display currently operates nine lines for foldable OLED modules, which it will use to manufacture at most 8.1 million units of panels this year, UBI Research said.
This will be enough for customer Samsung Electronics to ship at most early-7 million units of foldable phones, the analyst firm said.
This is because the yield rate for assembly lines is around 80 to 90%.
Samsung Display’s module capacity indicates that Samsung Electronics could manufacture between 14 million units to 16 million units of foldable phones next year, UBI Research said.
Chinese smartphone makers also buy foldable OLED panels from Samsung Display but their volume is small compared to Samsung Electronics.
Meanwhile, UBI Research expects around 8.9 million foldable OLED panels to be shipped this year, with Samsung Display’s accounting for 91% of the market.
In 2025, this will increase to 49 million units, the analyst firm said in its forecast.
Chinese display giant BOE is also developing two foldable panels of its own, one that in-folds and is 6.8-inch in size and another out-folding version with a size of 8-inch, UBI Research noted. Both are for Huawei.
BOE and Visionox are also developing foldable panels for Honor, which split off from Huawei, UBI Research said. CSOT is also planning to ship foldable OLED panels but its volume is very small compared to Samsung Display, the analyst firm added.
