At CES 2025, Samsung Display unveiled a 14-inch rollable OLED screen, which can expand to 16.7 inches. The first laptop featuring this display will be sold by Lenovo in June, starting at $3,500.
Meanwhile, LG Electronics introduced a transparent OLED TV in late 2024, creating an effect where images appear to float in midair. The 77-inch version is expected to cost $60,000.
Facing increasing competition from Chinese companies like BOE and Visionox, Samsung and LG are pushing new OLED technologies to regain market share.
Risk of Falling Behind China
After dominating the global LCD market, LG and Samsung have been developing OLED displays since 2010 for smartphones, cars, and TVs.
According to DSCC (Display Supply Chain Consultants), Samsung led the OLED market in 2024 with a 42.2% share, followed by LG Display with 23.9%, meaning the two companies controlled 66% of the market.
However, Chinese competitors are rising rapidly. 2024 marked the first year Samsung’s OLED market share fell below 50%, while BOE and Visionox reached 13.2% and 7.3%, respectively, giving Chinese firms a combined market share of 33%.
According to Nikkei, BOE is building a new OLED panel factory aiming to catch up with Samsung by 2026. The company has invested $8.7 billion in a next-generation Gen 8.6 OLED production facility.
Chinese companies are focusing on smaller OLED panels, particularly for smartphones, as they are easier to mass-produce.
“In smartphone OLED panels alone, China will surpass South Korea in production capacity within a few years,” said Yoshio Tamura, VP of Research at DSCC.
South Korean manufacturers are already struggling. In early 2024, LG Display reported a $391 million operating loss, marking its third consecutive year of losses, primarily due to intense price competition in the LCD panel market against China.
Samsung’s display division recorded a $2 billion profit from January to September 2024, but this was an 18.6% drop compared to the previous year. Analysts predict a second consecutive annual profit decline.
Competitive Advantage
Samsung and LG are focusing on the premium OLED segment to stay ahead of Chinese rivals.
According to Tamura, South Korean companies have a key advantage in quality and diversity.
“No Chinese company has yet achieved mass production of large-sized OLED panels,” an LG Display representative stated at a press conference in Seoul. The official claimed that South Korea still holds a “10-year technological lead” over China.
In 2024, LG sold its main LCD panel factory in China, reallocating funds to develop OLED technology across multiple industries, not just for large screens.
Samsung also invested $2.8 billion into an OLED production line at a critical factory, focusing on mid-sized OLED panels for PCs and other applications.
In recent years, Samsung has also expanded its focus on digital signage displays.
At the end of 2024, the company installed a massive display in Myeongdong, a popular shopping district. Measuring 71 meters wide and 17 meters tall (almost three basketball courts in height), it has become a major attraction.
Samsung has held the top spot in the digital signage market since 2009 and expects continued growth.
“We anticipate the market will grow at an average of 6.5% per year until 2028, but new technologies could accelerate this growth,” said Jeong Hoon, VP of Samsung’s Video Display Division.
Samsung also produces custom display panels for businesses, hotels, and government agencies, including safety alert screens.
“Since we manufacture panels tailored to specific business needs, our profit margins in this sector are significantly higher than consumer products,” Jeong added.
