The third quarter has historically been a peak season, with robust sales of premium smartphones boosting FocalTech Systems' AMOLED TDDI shipments to continue their upward trend. Meanwhile, the supply chain's readiness to amass inventory has increased due to stable prices for mid-range and low-end TDDI products, resulting in increased demand.

The overall progress of Chinese smartphone brands adopting OLED panels is rapidly advancing. Industry experts predict that by 2025, OLED will dominate the smartphone panel market, with only the lowest-tier models continuing to use traditional LCD panels.

LG Display (LGD) will invest an additional US$1 billion in Vietnam over the next five years to strengthen operations at its Haiphong OLED module factory, marking a significant step in its transition from LCD to OLED technology.

China-based BOE Technology has decided to invest in a wafer fab in Beijing, marking its first foray into the chipmaking business. This move comes as China is expected to rapidly expand its wafer fab industry, potentially flooding the global market with more semiconductor production.

LED manufacturer Ledtech turned a profit in the first three quarters of 2024, following a reorganization of its business and marketing operations earlier in the year. The company is now focusing on high-margin products such as low-temperature lighting, with this segment's revenue share climbing from 14% in the third quarter of 2023 to 29% in the third quarter of 2024. Targeting markets in the Americas and Europe, Ledtech is expanding its own brand and officially entering the ESG sustainable lighting field.

With retailers increasingly embracing smart retail solutions, major players are accelerating their adoption of electronic shelf labels (ESL). Walmart launched a significant push to install ESL across its US stores in mid-2024, transitioning from pilot projects to full-scale deployment. This expansion is projected to generate demand for 400-500 million ESL units over the next three years.

Touch panel manufacturer GIS has faced significant operational challenges in 2024. Despite a rebound in consolidated revenue during the third quarter, the company's product mix resulted in a reduced gross profit margin. As GIS's market share in fingerprint recognition continues to expand, the company expects overall performance in 2025 to surpass that of 2024, with fingerprint recognition revenue projected to exceed 10% for the first time.

South Korea's display industry faces new uncertainties following Donald Trump's return to the US presidency. While Samsung Display and LG Display maintain their OLED technology leadership, industry watchers are closely monitoring the potential impacts of heightened US-China tensions.

Taiwan-based display driver IC (DDI) manufacturer Fitipower Integrated Technology reported that its revenue for the third quarter reached nearly a nine-quarter high. The growth of mobile device DDIs has been a significant driving force; however, an increase in the shipment proportion of mobile device chips during the third quarter negatively impacted the overall product mix, leading to declines in gross margin and profitability.

Apple's planned release of the OLED MacBook Air faces potential delays, primarily due to pricing challenges and market dynamics. The transition from LCD to OLED panels significantly increases production costs, and Apple believes this upgrade alone may not provide sufficient value proposition for consumers.

As the display panel industry enters its traditional off-season following the peak inventory demand period, major manufacturers reported lower revenues for October. AUO experienced a nearly 20% decline from September, while Innolux saw a 10% month-over-month decrease.