UBI Research of Korea is optimistic that OLED will increasingly penetrate the automotive market. In a post on OLEDnet, the company said that a Chinese preference for very colourful displays would help the technology as Chinese suppliers become more important in the automotive market. OLEDs also have advantages in applications such as mirror replacement because of their fast response and wide viewing angles.
UBI said that it expected the OLED panel will start in earnest in the cluster or CID of the autos from 2018, and it forecasts that automotive displays are expected to grow about 17% annually, reaching around $25 billion by 2022. The AMOLED panel market will account for about 20% of this total.
Analyst Comment
I’m less optimistic, although this may be based on the conservative views I hear from predominantly western auto makers. OLED has a lot of challenges in lifetime and meeting the brightness and operating conditions for automotive and, as we have reported elsewhere, Chinese makers are having trouble making them. Given the demand that is likely for smartphones, supply may be a limiting factor in the short term, as well. (BR)
