The Rise of AMOLED Displays in 2024: Surpassing LCDs, with Chinese Manufacturers as the Biggest Winners

The Rise of AMOLED Displays in 2024: Surpassing LCDs, with Chinese Manufacturers as the Biggest WinnersAccording to Omdia's latest OLED display market tracking report, 2024 witnessed a historic breakthrough in AMOLED smartphone display shipments. For the first time, AMOLED shipments surpassed those of TFT LCDs, establishing AMOLED as the dominant technology in the smartphone display market

The Rise of AMOLED Displays in 2024: Surpassing LCDs, with Chinese Manufacturers as the Biggest Winners

According to Omdia's latest OLED display market tracking report, 2024 witnessed a historic breakthrough in AMOLED smartphone display shipments. For the first time, AMOLED shipments surpassed those of TFT LCDs, establishing AMOLED as the dominant technology in the smartphone display market. The report details the strong growth of AMOLED displays in 2024 and highlights the crucial role played by Chinese manufacturers.

The report reveals that global smartphone display shipments totaled 1.55 billion units in 2024, a 7% year-on-year increase, continuing the growth trend from the previous year. However, the fates of AMOLED and TFT LCD diverged significantly. AMOLED display shipments reached 784 million units, a remarkable 26% year-on-year increase, showcasing its impressive growth potential. Conversely, TFT LCD shipments plummeted to 761 million units, an 8% year-on-year decrease. This marks the first time AMOLED display shipments exceeded TFT LCD shipments, securing a commanding 51% market share in 2024.

This shift wasn't accidental; it resulted from a confluence of factors. A crucial factor was the price adjustment strategy adopted by Chinese display manufacturers. Since the second half of 2022, these manufacturers aggressively reduced the prices of flexible AMOLED panels, effectively stimulating market demand. Many major smartphone original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) seized this opportunity, upgrading mid-range smartphone screens from traditional rigid AMOLED and LTPS TFT LCD panels to more advantageous flexible AMOLED panels. This screen replacement trend accelerated in 2024, propelling the market share of flexible AMOLED displays from 28% in 2022 to 40%, a significant increase.

Simultaneously, the rapid market expansion of Chinese domestic smartphone OEMs provided strong momentum for AMOLED growth. As a result, Chinese display manufacturers saw a stunning 45% year-on-year increase in AMOLED display shipments in 2024. This propelled them to a dominant 45% share of the global AMOLED smartphone display market, making them the undisputed leader. In contrast, the market share of Korean display manufacturers continued to decline. These manufacturers focused on supplying high-end markets like Apple and Samsung, offering stable but higher-margin products, thus weakening their competitiveness in the mid-to-low-end market.

Brian Huh, Senior Analyst at Omdia's Display Research Practice, predicted future market trends: "Driven by the launch of Apple's new iPhone 16e and the continued adoption of AMOLED over TFT LCD by Android OEMs, smartphone AMOLED display shipments are expected to continue growing in 2025." Huh noted that Chinese display manufacturers, leveraging their strong supply chain relationships with domestic smartphone brands, are poised to further expand their market share.

The 2024 market data clearly shows that AMOLED displays have become the core driving force in the smartphone display market's development. The continued growth in shipments and expansion of market share indicate that AMOLED technology will continue to lead future display technology trends. The rise of Chinese display manufacturers, along with their advantages in pricing strategies and supply chains, will further solidify their leading position in the global AMOLED market. This shift in market landscape presents new opportunities and challenges for the entire smartphone industry chain. Manufacturers need to actively adjust their strategies to thrive in this increasingly competitive market.

Specifically, the price competitiveness of Chinese display manufacturers enabled the rapid proliferation of AMOLED displays in the mid-range market. This provided consumers with more choices and fueled upgrades across the smartphone market. Korean manufacturers, meanwhile, maintained their dominance in the high-end market by offering high-quality, high-margin products to maintain profitability. This market segmentation reflects the application characteristics of AMOLED technology across different price points.

The future of AMOLED technology will largely depend on continuous innovation and cost reduction. Lighter, more energy-efficient, higher-resolution, and more flexible AMOLED screens will be crucial in future market competition. Manufacturers must also focus on supply chain stability and continued investment in R&D to meet future market challenges and maintain a competitive edge.

In conclusion, the rise of AMOLED displays in 2024 isn't just a result of technological advancement but also reflects the synergistic effect of market strategy and industry chain collaboration. The success of Chinese display manufacturers provides valuable insights for other industries and signals a new phase for the global smartphone display market. The application of AMOLED technology will become increasingly widespread, and the influence of Chinese manufacturers in this field will continue to grow. Only continuous innovation can ensure survival in a constantly evolving market; the future of AMOLED technology is undoubtedly full of possibilities.

The 2024 AMOLED market data demonstrates the perfect combination of technological innovation, market strategy, and industry chain collaboration. The success of Chinese manufacturers is worthy of in-depth study and emulation by other global display manufacturers. The application of AMOLED technology in smartphones and other electronic devices will become increasingly widespread, driving continuous development and progress in the entire electronics information industry. The role played by Chinese manufacturers in this field will become increasingly important. In the context of global competition, only by continuously improving technological capabilities and strengthening industry chain collaboration can we secure a favorable position in future market competition. The future of the AMOLED display market is indeed something to watch.