The market for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) smartphone displays is expected to grow by 9 percent to 513 million in 2020 from 471 million in 2019 — despite the spread of coronavirus pandemic, according to Omdia.
Smartphone shipments are expected to drop 13 percent in 2020 as the coronavirus impacts both consumer demand and supply-chain availability. This indicates that the penetration of AMOLED panels is rising sharply this year, said Brian Huh, principal analyst, small/medium displays, for Omdia.

Apple is expected to expand its AMOLED iPhone line-up to three models in 2020, up from two in 2019. Meanwhile, Chinese smartphone OEMs are expected to increase the number of high-end smartphones integrating AMOLED panels this year.

This growth is entirely driven by demand for flexible AMOLEDs, whose shipments are expected to increase by 50 percent in 2020. Demand for foldable smartphones is helping fuel sales growth for flexible AMOLEDs.

Rigid AMOLED market is forecast to decline by 12 percent in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and the fierce competition with the alternative display technology: low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) TFT LCD.

AMOLED panel shipments for smartphones increased 16 percent to 471 million units in 2019. As a result, the AMOLED penetration rate for the total smartphone display market rose 4 percentage points to reach 30 percent last year.

Shipments of rigid AMOLED panels increased to 313 million, up 26 percent from 2018. A shipment increase among Chinese smartphone OEMs was a major driver of the rise in shipments.

Shipments of flexible AMOLED panels slightly decreased 1 percent last year to 158 million units. Demand for Apple and Samsung smartphones using flexible AMOLED displays fell short of expectations last year. Furthermore, Chinese smartphone OEMS did not expand their AMOLED smartphone lineups during the year.

Panel suppliers

Samsung Display shipped 407 million smartphone AMOLED panels in 2019, up 8 percent from 2018, grabbing 86 percent share.

Samsung Display’s shipment share of total AMOLED panel shipment declined. Other panel makers such as BOE, Everdisplay and Visionox increased their panel shipments. Excluding Samsung Display, total panel shipments increased by 113 percent to 64 million units in 2019.

In terms of AMOLED panel shipments to smartphone OEMs, shipments to Samsung increased by 3 percent to reach 194 million units in 2019 thanks to an increase in rigid AMOLED shipments. However, panel shipments to Apple decreased by 24 percent to 56 million units.

Panel shipments to Huawei and Xiaomi increased 287 percent and 120 percent respectively to 73 million and 20 million units. Huawei and Xiaomi have increased adoption of AMOLEDs in place of TFT-LCDs in their mid- to high-end smartphones.