Tablet [AM]OLED Display Shipments to Grow 39% YoY in 2026 While LCD Remains Stable
Shannon Davis
2 hours ago
New analysis from Omdia’s Tablet and Notebook Display and OEM Intelligence Service shows that OLED tablet panel shipments are expected to grow by 39% year-on-year (YoY) to 15 million units in 2026, after many years of lower-than-expected growth. These strong OLED targets are expected to be the main driver of overall tablet panel shipment growth next year.
Looking ahead to 2026 overall, preliminary feedback from supply chain manufacturers shows a 1.4% YoY growth rate, with tablet panel shipments reaching 301.5 million units. By technology, LCD tablet panel shipments are projected at 286.4 million units in 2026, remaining at roughly the same shipment level as last year. While Chinese panel suppliers are still forecasting growth with domestic customers, suppliers focused on Apple or global tablet brands are taking a more conservative approach for 2026, given the excessively high shipment base in 2025.
“OLED tablet panel shipments are finally becoming the main engine of tablet panel growth,” said Linda Lin, Senior Principal Analyst at Omdia. “In 2026 we expect OLED shipments to grow 39% year-on-year to 15 million units, while LCD remains at roughly the same shipment level as 2025, so most of the incremental demand comes from OLED.”
Samsung Display’s higher shipment forecasts for the Apple iPad Pro and the new iPad mini, are expected to drive significant OLED growth in 2026. Chinese OLED tablet panel suppliers are also targeting higher volumes for both rigid and flexible OLED tablet panels next year. In particular, BOE, ChinaStar and Visionox are aiming at higher shipment targets for flexible OLED tablet panels to Huawei for 2026.
In 2025, tablet panel shipments are projected to reach 297.4 million units, up 8% YoY, based on the latest survey of downstream brands and OEM makers. This would not only represent the highest yearly volume to date but also mark the first time shipments approach 300 million units in a year. Strong demand from 1Q25 to 3Q25 has led Apple, Lenovo and Samsung to aggressively expand their market share in 2025.
In the past, tablet panels for other non-tablet applications typically accounted for around 50-55% of total tablet panel shipment in a year. In 2025, demand from those non-tablet applications may fall to less than 50% share, in line with top-tier tablet brands’ better-than-expected shipment performance.
By technology in 2025, LCD tablet panel shipments may reach 286.5 million units, up 8.3% YoY. while OLED tablet panel shipments are estimated to decline by 3.5% YoY in 2025 to just 10.9 million units, due to weaker demand in the high-end segment. Therefore, tablet panel shipment growth in 2025 is primarily driven by LCD technology. Chinese panel suppliers such as-BOE, ChinaStar, HKC Display and Tianma have been the most aggressive in expanding their share of supply to local tablet brands, such as Lenovo, Huawei, Honor, Xiaomi and others.
Omdia’s Tablet and Notebook Display and OEM Intelligence Service provides detailed tracking and forecasts of tablet and notebook panel shipments by technology, supplier and brand, helping industry participants understand demand trends and supply dynamics across the global display market.
Copilot:
Yes—Omdia’s forecasted OLED tablet panels for 2026 are indeed AMOLED, not backlit. These panels emit light per pixel and do not require a separate backlight like LCDs.
Here’s the breakdown:
OLED vs AMOLED in Tablets
- OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) is a broad category of self-emissive display technology.
- AMOLED (Active Matrix OLED) is the specific implementation used in tablets, phones, and laptops—where each pixel is actively controlled via a thin-film transistor (TFT) backplane.
So when Omdia refers to “OLED tablet panels,” they’re talking about AMOLED panels, not passive OLED or hybrid backlit variants.
Why These Are Not Backlit
- No backlight: AMOLED panels generate light at the pixel level, unlike LCDs which require a backlight layer.
- Flexible and rigid AMOLED: The report mentions suppliers like BOE, ChinaStar, and Visionox targeting flexible OLED panels, which are only possible with AMOLED architecture.
- Apple and Samsung adoption: The forecasted growth is driven by OLED iPad Pro and iPad mini, which use AMOLED panels for contrast, thinness, and power efficiency.
Market Implications
- 2026 forecast: 15 million AMOLED tablet panels, up 39% YoY
- LCD remains flat: LCD shipments projected at ~286 million units, unchanged from 2025
- 8.6-Gen fabs: Samsung and BOE are ramping AMOLED production lines, not hybrid OLED or backlit variants
So yes, Mike—these are true AMOLED panels, and their growth signals a shift in tablet display strategy toward self-emissive, high-contrast, power-efficient screens. Want to map this against backplane tooling or Gen 8.6 substrate economics next? |
