According to the latest analysis from Omdia's Tablet and Notebook Display & OEM Intelligence Service, OLED tablet panel shipments are projected to grow 39% year-over-year in 2026, reaching 15 million units. After years of underperformance, this strong OLED target is expected to drive overall tablet panel shipment growth next year.

Preliminary feedback from supply chain players indicates that total tablet panel shipments will rise 1.4% YoY in 2026 to 301.5 million units. By technology segment, LCD tablet panel shipments are forecast to remain flat at 286.4 million units. Chinese panel makers anticipate growth driven by domestic clients, while suppliers primarily serving Apple or global tablet brands remain cautious due to high shipment baselines in 2025.

Linda Lin, Senior Principal Analyst at Omdia, stated: "OLED tablet panels are finally becoming the primary growth driver. By 2026, OLED shipments are expected to jump 39% to 15 million units, while LCD shipments will stabilize at 2025 levels—meaning most incremental demand will come from OLED."

Samsung Display is projected to significantly boost shipments for Apple’s iPad Pro and new iPad mini, fueling OLED’s expansion. Meanwhile, Chinese OLED suppliers like Universal Display (BOE) (000725.SZ), ChinaStar, and Visionox (002387.SZ) plan to increase rigid and flexible OLED panel shipments, particularly targeting higher 2026 targets for Huawei’s flexible OLED panels.

Downstream brand and OEM surveys suggest 2025 tablet panel shipments will hit 297.4 million units, up 8% YoY—marking both a record high and the first time shipments approach 300 million units. Strong Q1-Q3 2025 demand prompted Apple, Lenovo, and Samsung to aggressively expand market share.

Historically, non-tablet applications accounted for 50-55% of annual tablet panel shipments. In 2025, this share may dip below 50%, aligning with outperformance by leading tablet brands. By technology, 2025 LCD tablet panel shipments are estimated at 286.5 million units (+8.3% YoY), while OLED shipments may decline 3.5% to 10.9 million units due to weak premium demand—making LCD the dominant growth driver.

Chinese suppliers including BOE, ChinaStar, HKC Display, and Tianma are actively expanding supply shares for local brands like Lenovo, Huawei, Honor, and Xiaomi.

Omdia’s service provides detailed tracking and forecasts of tablet/notebook panel shipments by technology, supplier, and brand, helping industry players understand global display demand trends and supply dynamics.

Chart: Tablet panel shipments by display technology, 2025–2026 (millions of units)