Samsung's flexible AMOLED to intimidate market

Samsung Mobile Display's flexible AMOLED display named "Youm" showed its breakthrough from traditional techniques for power consumption, contrast ratio, view angle, color saturation. This is according to WitsView, a panel research arm of TrendForce Corp. that also revealed that the above criteria are no longer the bases for judging Samsung and its rivals' competitiveness.

Resulting from Samsung Galaxy brand's popularity, AMOLED has successfully secured its leading position in mid-to-high-level mobile phone display market for the past two years, noted WitsView. However, according to Eric Chiou, TrendForce research director, the lukewarm reception toward the Samsung 7.7in tablet with AMOLED explains that AMOLED display's higher cost is less competitive in the price-oriented tablet market. Meanwhile, the upgraded LCD panel specifications have narrowed its gap with AMOLED display. The trend comes as warning sign for AMOLED display as it becomes more difficult to differentiate between the two. Therefore, flexible AMOLED panel is expected to be the key offering more unique technologies for Samsung to hit a new peak.

Eric Chiou indicates that touch module or LCD panels' glass layers crack easily when dropped, resulting in high repair costs and inherent danger with broken glass. Furthermore, it may impact a brand's reputation should it involve human safety issues. Replacing traditional glass substrate锟絯ith bended backplane enables a thinner and lighter AMOLED panel, avoiding broken panel problems completely. The mass production bottleneck for unbreakable AMOLED display is more achievable when compared with its flexible counterpart, and it is expected to take advantage of its safety to win smartphone and tablet markets.

TrendForce analysis indicates that Samsung Mobile Display, nearly dominating the whole AMOLED market, continues to make use of it advanced technology to release flexible AMOLED. In the near future, this product will inevitably join forces with the Samsung brand. This may not only impact the industry with its exclusive technology, but also further destroy the balanced supply chains, causing brands' market share to face abrupt changes.