LG Display ranks No. 1 in AMOLED display panels for smartwatches: IHS Markit

SEOUL, July 9 (Yonhap) -- LG Display Co. ranked as the world's largest supplier of active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays for smartwatches in 2017, data showed Monday, apparently helped by strong shipments to Apple Inc.

The South Korean display maker shipped 10.64 million units of AMOLED display panels for smartwatches last year, accounting for 41.4 percent of the global market, industry tracker IHS Markit's data showed. Samsung Display Co. followed with 34.8 percent at 8.95 million units.

Other players were EverDisplay Optronics and AU Optronics making up 16.2 percent and 5.7 percent of shipments, respectively, IHS Markit added. Beijing Oriental Electronics posted a market share of 1.5 percent.

Industry watchers said LG Display's performance was apparently based on the strong demand from U.S. tech giant Apple, which is currently the largest producer of smartwatches in the world.

Reflecting its ties to Apple, LG Display is expected to shake off its sluggish performances and resume growth in the near future, industry watchers added.

The company turned to a net loss in the January-March period, posting a quarterly shortfall for the first time in six years on falling global panel prices. The net loss came to 48.9 billion won (US$43.9 million) in the first quarter, compared with a profit of 679 billion won posted a year earlier.

colin@yna.co.kr
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