iSuppli: OLED Screens for Cell Phones to Rise Eightfold

The market for OLED displays used in cell phones are set to surge in the coming years, driven by the recent launch of a number of smartphones using this technology, said iSuppli Corp.

OLED, the abbreviation for organic light emitting diode, is recognized as an emerging technology in the handset industry. iSuppli forecasts that global shipments of OLED displays as main screens of mobile devices will see an impressive eightfold increase, increasing drastically from 22.2 million units in 2009 to 178 million units in 2015.

Compared to conventional LCD screens, the OLEDs offer much better image quality with higher contrast, shorter response time and wider viewing angles. They are more environmentally sustainable as well, as they consume less power for longer battery life, without compromising picture quality. Additionally, OLEDs contain fewer sub-components and have no mercury or other heavy metal, which make them easier to recycle.

All these characteristics make them perfect to be used in smartphones designed for browsing the Internet and streaming videos. For instance, the newly released Samsung Omnia II i8000, boasting a 3.7-inch AM-OLED display with 480x800 resolution, is one of the new OLED handsets equipped with large OLED primary displays. Other examples include Samsung Impression and Nokia N85.

In addition to smartphones, OLED displays are also incorporated in feature phones, such as the Nokia N86 and 6600 Fold, as 2.2-inch to 2.6-inch QVGA main displays. Some MP3 players, flat-panel TVs and digital TVs on the market have applied the OLED technology as well.

As for the price, according to iSuppli, the 2.6-inch OLED of the N85 costs $7.05, which is only 8 percent more expensive than an equivalent LCD display ($6.50). This small price difference certainly adds an additional catalyst to the potential growth of OLED screens.

However, despite the rapid potential growth, iSuppli predicts that OLED displays will still only account for a small proportion in the overall handset displays in the coming years. Limited by the small number of suppliers and factories manufacturing OLED screens, such screens will make up 6 percent of total handset display shipments in 2013, up from 2 percent in 2009.

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