BOE Launches New OLED Panel, Challenges Samsung and LG

BOE has introduced a new organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel boasting the highest color performance globally, positioning itself as a formidable competitor to Samsung Display and LG Display in the OLED market. Reports indicate that BOE has also entered the supply chain of major global technology company Apple, facing increasing competition from other Chinese companies in OLED panel manufacturing.

At the Innovation Partnership Conference (IPC) held in Beijing earlier this month, BOE revealed a prototype of its latest OLED panel. The panel achieves 95% of the BT 2020 color gamut, surpassing LG Display's white OLED panel (70%) and Samsung Display's Quantum Dot (QD)-OLED panel (90%). A higher percentage means the panel can display a wider range of colors.

Although mass production of this new product has not yet begun, analysts suggest that BOE's OLED technology now poses a significant challenge to Korean manufacturers. BOE plans to expand OLED panel supply for smartphones, tablets, laptops, televisions, and other IT devices.

In the small-to-medium-sized OLED panel market, BOE is catching up with its Korean counterparts. This month, BOE completed the structural framework of the B/C section of its 8.6th generation AMOLED production line. Other sections of the project are moving forward rapidly. By the end of this year, the main structure is expected to be completed, with product lighting planned for May 2026 and mass production slated for October 2026. Full production capacity is anticipated by 2029. Once operational, the Chengdu facility will become the largest flexible panel production base in the country, potentially capturing 20% of the global market share for flexible panels.

According to Chengdu Daily, BOE's 8.6th generation AMOLED production line, the first of its kind in China and one of the first globally, represents a total investment of 63 billion yuan. The facility will have a designed capacity of 32,000 glass substrates per month, primarily for high-end OLED touch displays in smart terminals such as laptops and tablets.

This investment positions BOE to compete with Samsung Display, which has already committed to its own 8.6th generation IT OLED production line with an investment of 4.1 trillion Korean won by 2026.

BOE is also steadily increasing its supply of OLED panels for iPhones. As the company strengthens its technological capabilities, it has become one of Apple's top three panel suppliers, alongside Samsung Display and LG Display.

An industry expert noted, "As Apple widely adopts OLED panels, competition between Korean and Chinese panel manufacturers is intensifying. With BOE's rapid advancements in OLED technology, tensions in the industry are rising."