New data from the analyst firm TrendForce suggests that the number of AMOLED smartphones on the market will hit 39% this year thanks to its increasing use in the competitively-priced mid-range segment. It found that a-Si LCD models remained in demand in the low to mid-range market but that LTPS LCD models were continuing to lose market share.
In 2019, LTPS LCD penetration was at 40%, AMOLED was at 31% and a-Si LCD was at 29%. The following year, AMOLED and a-Si LCD grew to 33% and 30% respectively while LTPS LCD declined to 37%. In 2021, it’s estimated that LTPS LCD will continue to fall to 33%, AMOLED will take a huge leap to 39% and a-Si LCD will fall back a bit to 28%.
TrendForce noted that panel suppliers had been aggressively pricing their rigid AMOLED panels since the second half of 2020 and client orders have increased as a result. It said that as time goes on, it expects AMOLED models to “gradually cannibalize” the market share of LTPS LCD models in the mid-range and premium mid-range segments causing the technology to be adopted on devices at a lower price point. Unsurprisingly, the analyst expects that flexible AMOLED panels which are now being used on folding phones will continue to be ordered for phones in the high-end and flagship segments.
On the topic of smartphone sales, TrendForce said that we’ll see demand for smartphones increase throughout the year as more people get vaccinated and begin to return to pre-pandemic lifestyles, despite the fact that production is squeezed due to several factors.