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Apple Watch sees LG beat Samsung to become #1 smartwatch display maker

Market research firm IHS Markit says that LG became the world’s largest supplier of OLED smartwatch displays thanks to its lead over Samsung in Apple Watch orders …

Business Korea has the numbers.

LG Display supplied a total of 10.64 million AMOLED smartwatch display panels last year with a market share of 41.4%. It was followed by Samsung Display (8.95 million, 34.8%), Everdisplay Optronics (4.17 million, 16.2%), AUO (1.47 million, 5.7%) and BOE (380,000, 1.5%).

Although Samsung makes its own range of smartwatches, they don’t come anywhere close to Apple Watch sales, and LG is the Cupertino company’s lead supplier.

LG Display’s lead can be attributed to its supply to Apple. Last year, LG Display and Samsung Display supplied Apple with 14.75 million OLED smartwatch panels and LG Display accounted for more than 70% of the combined supply. Apple is currently enjoying the highest share in the global smartwatch market and no company is likely to outstrip it before 2022.

Samsung, however, still appears poised to pick up the bulk of orders for this year’s OLED iPhone screens. Although Apple has been working hard to bring LG on board as a second supplier, even paying most of the setup cost of an LG production line dedicated to iPhone displays, the company has reportedly been struggling to meet quality targets in high-volume production. Recent reports suggest that LG will supply between two and five million OLED screens for this year’s iPhones, with Samsung providing the rest.


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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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