Federica Laricchia
Research expert covering the global consumer technology industry
Display technology - statistics & facts
Consumers use all kinds of electronic devices daily, from smartphones to PCs to TVs, but do not usually think about the technologies behind them. All these devices rely on display technology, an industry that has been around for many decades and that counts among its latest developments OLED, AMOLED, and QLED displays, which will soon take over older technologies, such as LCD. The market is populated by manufacturers always trying to bring improvements and innovation to the table when vendors update devices and release new ones. Virtual reality (VR) headsets and foldable smartphones are just a few examples of new devices requiring innovative displays.
Looking ahead, as technology develops, consumer electronics companies will surely work on new types of devices, and new devices require new and improved displays – a trend that will keep display manufacturers always busy as they aim to keep playing a role in this flourishing market.
Display technology history: from 1897’s CRT technology to LCD displays
Until the late 20th century, it was cathode-ray tube (CRT) technology that dominated the industry. New trends, such as the increasing smartphone penetration rate and the growing number of TV watchers worldwide, have increased the demand for displays that rival and surpass CRTs in picture quality, size, and power consumption. One of the most recent developments is liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, which companies involved in the display industry quickly adopted for many devices, including TVs, PCs, and smartphones. Taking a closer look at the smartphone display market, in 2023, the Chinese display manufacturer BOE was the leading smartphone panel vendor, shipping around 560 million displays. Other manufacturers, such as SDC, Tianma, and HKC, followed with lower shipments.Innovative display technologies on the rise
In coming years, newer display technologies such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), active-matrix organic light-emitting diodes (AMOLEDs), and quantum dot displays (QLEDs) will continue to grow in prevalence. High-end smartphones, such as the iPhone 15 models, make use of OLED displays, as do many smartwatches to offer better picture quality. Furthermore, OLED technology is also prominent to make flexible displays. Given the rising popularity of foldable smartphones, which are forecast to count over 25 million unit shipments in 2024, such as the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Google Pixel Fold, analysts expect manufacturers to use more of such displays, contributing to the growth of the foldable OLED display market.Looking ahead, as technology develops, consumer electronics companies will surely work on new types of devices, and new devices require new and improved displays – a trend that will keep display manufacturers always busy as they aim to keep playing a role in this flourishing market.
