Global purchases of OLED emitting materials soared to a new quarterly record in the third quarter of 2024. According to UBI Research, a total of 32.7 tons of OLED emitting materials were purchased during the period, surpassing the previous peak set in 2021—a year marked by pandemic-driven market expansion. With OLED material usage typically peaking in the fourth quarter, 2024 is on track to achieve the highest annual usage levels ever recorded.
Samsung Display maintained its position as the market leader, commanding a 41.4% share of global OLED emitting material purchases in Q3. LG Display followed at 20.5%, while China’s BOE and Visionox accounted for 11.6% and 8.3%, respectively. These rankings highlight Samsung Display’s continued dominance in the supply chain for OLED panels.
By substrate type, RGB OLED remained the most widely used configuration, holding an 83.7% share in Q3. However, with new 8.6G manufacturing lines coming online, industry insiders anticipate a gradual decline in RGB OLED’s dominance. WRGB-OLED retained a stable 11.3% market share, comparable to Q2, while QD-OLED claimed 2.8%.
The 2-stack tandem OLED technology, which saw a surge in Q2 due to increased demand for iPad Pro OLED panels, experienced a downturn in Q3, sliding to a 2.2% share amid lower market needs. Despite the current dip, the long-term outlook for 2-stack tandem OLED remains promising. IT devices using this more complex structure require more material due to larger panel sizes and the presence of two light-emitting layers, thus having a disproportionate impact on overall material purchases relative to shipment volumes.
BOE’s upcoming 8.6G line will initially focus on smartphone OLEDs rather than expanding the 2-stack tandem market, effectively leaving the door open for Samsung Display to drive growth in this segment. Starting in 2026, the anticipated application of OLED technology to MacBook Pro panels is expected to more than double the required amount of 2-stack tandem OLED emitting materials compared to 2024. Market insiders say that Samsung Display will be the first supplier of 2-stack tandem OLED panels to MacBook Pro, setting the stage for rapid expansion in this segment and continued transformation of the OLED market landscape.
