Samsung

OLED displays for smartphones to be in tight supply throughout the year

posted by Daniel P. / Jun 05, 2013, 9:38 AM

OLED displays for smartphones to be in tight supply throughout the year

Phones using OLED display panels are expected to hit 217 million panels this year, according to DisplaySearch, which is much more than the 134 million pieces last year, and already putting a strain on capacities. Supply/demand ratio is forecast to reach just 1% towards the end of the year, meaning any unfortunate event can throw a number of plans off the rails. As per Charles Annis, vice president of manufacturing analsysis at DisplaySearch:

Samsung Display still produces the vast majority of commercially available AMOLEDs, and these are mainly used in smartphones. With the recent release of the Galaxy S4 with a 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display, Samsung will need to run its AMOLED fabs at maximum capacity to keep up with expected high demand.

As the supply/demand ratio is expected to tighten dramatically, Samsung is moving to significantly extend capacity at its A2 5.5G fab from 2013-2014. Additionally, the company may also accelerate its plans for A3, another new AMOLED production line.

Rapid growth of smartphones and tablets, in conjunction with the continued shift towards larger average TV sizes, are driving a recovery of the FPD industry. In fourth-quarter 2012, average operating margins for flat panel display makers turned positive for the first time since third-quarter 2010, and this trend is forecast to continue. Additionally, the outlook for fab utilization, equipment spending and technology upgrades is improving in 2013 and potentially will continue into 2014.

via Digitimes

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17 Comments

1. ihatesmartphone unregistered

gonna miss lcd...

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 10:14 AM 4

2. MCrapp

Posts: 318; Member since: Apr 07, 2013

Back light bleed!Clouding!!!Not me! I Love deep blacks on Amoled

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 10:31 AM 13

3. PhoneArenaUser

Posts: 5498; Member since: Aug 05, 2011

Since black is only one from many colours, I rather choose to have many realistic colours on LCD screen than only one realistic colour on OLED screen.

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 10:51 AM 4

4. Long1

Posts: 399; Member since: May 18, 2013

you can have all colours REAL on the modern AMOLED

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 11:04 AM 14

5. PhoneArenaUser

No, you can't.

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 11:05 AM 2

7. MCrapp

Yes you can! S4 is close to Iphone5(very good screen)

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 11:11 AM 6

9. SleepingOz unregistered

Colour reproduction on the GSIV is even closer to the ip5 than the HTC One is.

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 11:14 AM 11

8. SleepingOz unregistered

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 11:13 AM 9

10. PhoneArenaUser

How this low level photos proves something?

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 11:21 AM 1

12. SleepingOz unregistered

This proves that the SuperAMOLED panel of the GSIV is on par with the LCD panels used in the ip5 and the HTC One in term of "natural" colour reproduction.

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 11:34 AM 9

17. Taters

Posts: 6474; Member since: Jan 28, 2013

Yes you can. Do I have to post the link to the oled surgery monitor with the most accurate colours ever, again?!

posted on Jun 06, 2013, 12:46 AM 0

6. Topcat488

Posts: 1415; Member since: Sep 29, 2012

I bet Samsung starts charging 20% more now... Like they did to Apple and dim dang on chips.!.

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 11:06 AM 2

11. roldefol

Posts: 4744; Member since: Jan 28, 2011

This headline reads like a warning to Samsung's OLED customers, which now include Nokia and Motorola. Remember the HTC Incredible!

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 11:34 AM 0

13. aco96

Posts: 244; Member since: Oct 12, 2012

I love amoled display on my X7 :)

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 11:50 AM 0

14. shreehari

Posts: 45; Member since: Mar 10, 2013

ntns better than ips lcd of lg

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 12:02 PM 1

15. Supaheight

Posts: 66; Member since: Sep 29, 2012

Amoled should improve but as it is i like more than lcd me it hurts my eys somehow

posted on Jun 05, 2013, 3:03 PM 0

16. Taters

Hmm I wonder if they will use LCDs if something goes wrong at one factory. That is what they do with the exynos, farm off to Qualcomm. Since the Active has an LCD of the same size, they might just use those for regular S4's in some countries if they can't keep up production.