Domestic companies received orders for panel development
Main displays from 10 to 16 inches
Growth catalyst for small and medium-sized OLED market
Samsung and LG Display emerge as major suppliers
Apple will install organic light emitting diode (OLED) panels on iPad and MacBook. It has been confirmed that domestic display-related companies started to develop OLED for iPad at the request of Apple.
This is the first time that Apple has applied OLED to iPad and MacBook instead of LCD. Small and medium-sized OLED market that centered on smartphones will grow a new momentum with the expansion of OLED installation from Apple, a company with a great influence on the world.
Apple ordered a domestic display company to develop two types of OLED panels for iPad and two types of OLED for MacBook when summing up the reports from the industry including Stone Partners on the 18th. The specific types of panels are 10.86 inches and 12.9 inches for the iPad, and 14 inches and 16 inches for the MacBook. The domestic display companies and related parts and material companies began to develop the panels with the start of the official project. An insider familiar with the subject said, “There are various panel development from 10 inches to 16 inches is in progress.”
The iPad is a tablet and the MacBook is a laptop. A liquid crystal display (LCD) was used as the main display for these products. OLED has been applied to previously for some models such as the MacBook Pro; however, it was only used for a button (touch bar) not for the main screen.
This is interpreted as Apple’s effort to convert majority of iPad and MacBook displays to OLED for premiumization. The 10.86 inches and 12.9 inches display is equivalent to the size of the current 'iPad Pro' products, and the 14-inch and 16-inch displays are also the same as the current 'MacBook Pro' display sizes. It is reported that 2024 iPad 2026 MacBook will be applied with OLED.
The reason for the installation of OLED in iPad and MacBook is attracting much attention is due to the anticipation of a significant impact on the industry. It will act as a catalyst for expanding the small and medium-sized OLED market. Apple is the No.1 in the world for global tablet market. It anually sells about 70 million units. Demand for the MacBook is also significant enough to have record sales in the third quarter of last year. The display of these products is changing from LCD to OLED. Apple's move for tablets and laptops may accelerate the adoption of other competitors, and demand for materials and components used in OLED panels is expected to increase since the size of the display is bigger than that of existing 6-inch smartphones.
Samsung Display and LG Display are likely to supply OLEDs that will be used in the iPad. Both companies are iPhone OLED suppliers. iPad OLED is expected to be mass-produced in the 6th generation (1500 × 1850 mm, divided into generations by the size of substrate). It is anticipated that Samsung Display will utilize the 6th generation line in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do, and LG Display to use the 6th generation line in Paju.
The OLED for MacBook will be produced in the newly invested 8th generation line. Last August, Samsung Display formalized its 8th generation investment plan at the International Meeting on Information Display (IMID) held in Busan.
By Staff Reporter Sora Park (srpark@etnews.com)