According to the latest research by Sigmaintell on global notebook panel shipments, despite challenges in the OLED market's growth in 2025, global shipments are projected to reach 12.7 million units, with market penetration rising to 6%.

Rigid OLED (ROLED) is expected to dominate with shipments of 12.1 million units, accounting for 95% of the market and showing a 31% year-on-year increase. Meanwhile, flexible OLED (FOLED) is gaining traction, driven by flagship models like Huawei's 18-inch foldable PC, with FOLED notebook shipments forecasted at around 600,000 units in 2025. Hybrid OLED, however, remains limited to niche high-end models such as Dell's, resulting in relatively small shipment volumes this year.

The OLED laptop market in 2025 is witnessing accelerated innovation and new product launches. Lenovo introduced the world's first under-display camera laptop, the Yoga Air X AI Edition, breaking barriers in mid-sized product applications. Huawei's 18-inch foldable MateBook Fold Master Edition integrates professional and lightweight office scenarios into a compact 18-inch (unfolded) and 13-inch (folded) design. Lenovo also launched the Yoga Pro 16 Aura and ThinkPad P1 2026 AI Edition, featuring a 16-inch 3.2K 120Hz Tandem OLED display tailored for high-end business and professional users.

These advancements align with the AI PC trend and key product upgrade cycles, injecting growth momentum into the global notebook market. The OLED laptop panel market is set to exceed 12 million units in 2025, supported by a dual strategy of "mainstreaming + gaming," reinforcing OLED's dominance in high-end models.

However, the high-end market's limited capacity means OLED's growth hinges on its performance in mid-to-high-end and mainstream segments. From 2021 to 2024, ROLED manufacturers like Samsung Display (SDC) targeted the mid-to-high-end ultra-slim notebook market with 14-inch 2.8K displays, successfully replacing LCD in this segment. In 2024, ROLED shipments reached 9.6 million units, lifting OLED's notebook panel penetration to 4%.

Looking ahead, SDC's dual strategy—focusing on mainstream ultra-slim notebooks with cost-effective 14-inch and 16-inch FHD+ displays and mid-to-high-end gaming laptops with 16-inch 2.5K 165Hz/240Hz ROLED panels—will drive further growth. Major brands like Lenovo, HP, Asus, and Acer are adopting these solutions.

The next two years will see the launch of four G8.6 OLED production lines—SDC's A6, BOE's B16, Visionox's V5, and CSOT's T8—with A6 and B16 starting notebook panel production in Q2 2026. While Hybrid OLED and FOLED offer superior display quality and slimness, their higher costs pose challenges in price-sensitive mainstream markets. Sigmaintell projects G8.6 OLED notebook panel shipments at 1.7 million units in 2026, primarily driven by Apple's MacBook Pro demand.

By 2029, G8.6 Hybrid OLED is expected to dominate the OLED notebook panel market, supported by Apple's MacBook Air transition and advancing IJP+ViP Hybrid technology.

The next five years will be transformative for notebook displays, with OLED and LCD competing across multiple segments. The industry is shifting toward lighter, thinner, and smarter solutions, accelerating specification upgrades and synergizing with AI PC trends. Sigmaintell cautions that smaller-generation LCD and OLED production lines may face pressure, urging manufacturers to diversify applications strategically.