Global sales of OLED displays hit record high in Q2

SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- Global sales of organic light emitting diode (OLED)
displays hit a record high in the second quarter of the year largely due to their
growing use in mobile handsets, a market report showed Thursday.
According to the report by global research firm DisplaySearch, world OLED sales
reached US$192 million, up 22 percent from a year earlier and 32 percent from the
previous quarter. OLED, a burgeoning technology with ultrathin, ultrabright
diodes, does not require a backlight.
Shipments of active-matrix OLED, or AMOLED, grew due to strong shipments of
mobile phone main displays, the report said.
The growth was largely attributed to the promotion of AMOLED mobile phones by
Samsung Electronics Co., Nokia Corp. and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Inc.
in the first half of 2009. More than 15 mobile phone models with AMOLED main
displays were released in 2009.
Samsung Mobile Display Co., an affiliate of Samsung Electronics, had a strong
second quarter, maintaining its top position with a 38-percent market share,
followed by RiTdisplay Corp. of Taiwan.
"AMOLED displays have become an important differentiating feature for high end
electronic products," Jennifer Colegrove, DisplaySearch's Director of Display
Technologies, said in a statement.
The technology is not only used for mobile phone main displays, but has also
penetrated the market for portable media players, digital still cameras and other
applications, the director said, adding there will be about 20 new or upgraded
AMOLED production lines installed or upgraded worldwide in the next three years.
OLED manufacturers are planning to make TV panels larger than 11 inches in 2009,
the report said.
LG Display is mass-producing small-size AMOLED panels, and has announced that it
will mass-produce 15-inch AMOLED panels for use with TVs at the end of 2009. LG
Electronics says it will begin selling 15-inch OLED TV sets by the holiday
season.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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