Large OLED Shipments to Surge 18.8% in 2026 as Laptop Growth Outpaces LCD Decline

OLED displays are gaining ground in the large-screen market even as the broader industry faces headwinds. Omdia forecasts that large OLED shipments will reach 38.8 million units in 2026, marking an 18.8 percent year-over-year increase. This growth stands in contrast to the overall large display market, which is expected to shrink by 2.3 percent to 916.9 million units. The divergence highlights a clear shift in consumer preference toward higher-quality panels despite economic uncertainty.

Laptop OLED panel shipments are projected to jump 66 percent while total display market revenue contracts

The expansion of OLED technology is primarily driven by the laptop and monitor sectors. Laptop OLED panel shipments are projected to surge by 66.0 percent, while monitor OLED panels are expected to grow by 34.0 percent. This rapid adoption is supported by new manufacturing capacity coming online. Samsung Display and BOE plan to begin mass production on 8.6-generation IT OLED lines in mid-2026, with a focus on laptop panels.

• Large OLED Display Shipments 2026: 38.8 million units (18.8% YoY increase)
• Total Large Display Shipments 2026: 916.9 million units (2.3% YoY decrease)
• Large LCD Panel Shipments 2026: 878.1 million units (3.0% YoY decrease)
• Total Large Display Market Revenue 2026: $69.9 billion (1.7% YoY decrease)
• Laptop OLED Panel Growth 2026: 66.0% YoY increase

Traditional LCD panels continue to dominate the volume market but are seeing a gradual decline. Large LCD panel shipments are forecast to drop by 3.0 percent to 878.1 million units. The overall market revenue is also expected to contract by 1.7 percent to $69.9 billion. These figures reflect the pressure on manufacturers to balance high-end OLED growth with the volume-based LCD business.

TV panel shipments are also facing challenges, with a projected 2.5 percent decrease. Brands are struggling to pass rising component costs on to consumers, which is dampening demand. YS Chung, the Display Research Practice Leader at Omdia, noted that prices for memory and CPUs are expected to keep rising. This cost pressure is weakening consumer demand and forcing a shift toward larger screen sizes, with 65-inch and larger panels growing by 8.4 percent.

The data confirms that OLED is becoming a standard feature in premium computing devices. Consumers seeking improved contrast and color accuracy will encounter a wider selection of OLED-equipped laptops and monitors. The industry is clearly prioritizing OLED production lines to meet this specific demand. These new 8.6-generation production lines are expected to significantly influence the supply availability for upcoming laptop models.