Samsung Display (SDC) is expected to formally expand mass production of OLED panels for Apple's foldable iPhone starting in September 2026. Although the ramp-up for the foldable iPhone had previously been pushed back because production delays hit some components, including the hinge and substrate, the new OLED mass production schedule suggests SDC can still meet its full-year production target.
Indium phosphide (InP) is emerging as one of the tightest supply constraints in AI data-center optical interconnects. Lumentum CEO Michael Hurlston has said publicly that the supply-demand imbalance for InP has become more severe than the shortages seen in DRAM and NAND memory, making the material a potential bottleneck as data centers scale high-speed optical links.
Micro LED maker PlayNitride Inc. expects the technology to enter commercial optical communications applications within two years, expanding beyond displays into AI devices, data center optical transmission, silicon photonics and co-packaged optics (CPO).
LG Electronics is bolstering sales of home appliances, TVs and other consumer products through innovation and product segmentation. On the 1st, LG said it will launch new air purifiers and edge purifiers to meet air-care demand in small homes and other diverse living spaces.
Samsung Electronics' first passport-style foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold8, is reportedly facing tight display driver IC (DDI) supply as demand exceeds expectations. Samsung has continued to raise component orders, but the related 22nm process capacity at United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) has reached its limit.
China's optical display industry is cooling after years of aggressive panel fab construction that has reshaped the global display landscape. Investments in China's optical display sector fell 80.3% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, underscoring a slowdown in capacity expansion with capital now shifting toward optical materials and mini/micro LED (MLED) displays.
Price wars. Capacity races. Years of losses steep enough to earn a lasting nickname.
Winstar Display is accelerating its expansion into AI applications, with its products already integrated into data centers, power management systems, controllers, testing equipment, and semiconductor facilities. The company projects AI-related orders to grow by 30% to 40% in 2026, with AI revenue share rising from 3–4% to 5% in the near term.
Global shipments of LCD TVs larger than 70 inches have climbed sharply over the past four years, with models above 98 inches rising 12-fold, according to a Nikkei report citing Counterpoint Research. The shift reflects a broader move by manufacturers toward larger, higher-margin sets as the LCD market matures.
As strong AI demand continues to soak up semiconductor capacity, some ICs and passive components are seeing shortages and longer lead times. Qisda's display maker Data Image has stepped up policy-driven inventory buildup, with some industrial control products now carrying supply lead times of as long as one year and materials for the first and second quarters of 2027 already secured in advance.
Samsung Electronics' first tri-fold handset of 2025, the Galaxy Z TriFold, has repeatedly sold out, but with global shipments of only about 30,000 units, it functioned more as a technology showcase. A second-generation model is expected in the second half of 2027, with thinner designs, durability, and mass production capability as the next focus.
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