South Korea’s leading display makers are gearing up for Apple’s next wave of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) products, targeting laptops, tablets and monitors, as the tech giant prepares to refresh its high-end lineup.
Apple is slated to launch an OLED-backed MacBook Pro and an OLED iPad Mini later this month, with Samsung Display reportedly supplying the initial panels for both devices.
Samsung Display plans a new A7 line at its second Asan complex in South Chungcheong Province, with spending to start in the first half of 2027, equipment installation by mid-2028 and production slated for 2029.
The company already provides more than 70 percent of OLED laptop panels used by major brands, covering roughly 75 percent of Acer’s supply and serving Lenovo and Dell as well.
LG Display is pursuing a cost-focused route, developing a fine-metal-mask-free process called FLiPP that uses photolithography to create red, green and blue subpixels, aiming to enable larger panels at lower expense. The technique eliminates the need for traditional metal masks, simplifying manufacturing.
Industry analysts expect FLiPP-based production to start in 2029, while LG has already shown a 27-inch FLiPP panel that could suit Apple’s Studio Display, a potential target for the new technology.
According to UBI Research, IT products will represent 12.5 percent of Apple’s annual OLED panel demand by 2030, up from 4.1 percent this year. This shift reflects Apple’s strategy to move premium computing devices onto OLED screens.
Rising semiconductor prices and a slowdown in consumer electronics could temper short-term orders, yet Apple’s move toward OLED in premium computers and tablets is set to bolster demand for both Korean suppliers.
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