I. Market Landscape: 8.6-Gen Lines Become the New Battleground for IT OLED

The global IT OLED panel market is witnessing fierce competition centered on 8.6-gen lines (2290×2620mm substrates), forming two major technology camps:

II. FMM Camp: The Steady Leading "Established Players"

1. Samsung Display (SDC): Clear First-Mover Advantage

• Technology Route: FMM evaporation + Tandem OLED technology

• Production Line Progress: The 8.6-gen line at Plant A6 has started construction; trial operation will begin in late 2025, with full mass production in Q2 2026

• Customer Breakthrough: Secured exclusive orders from Apple to supply OLED panels for the 2026 MacBook Pro series

• Technology Highlights:

• Tandem OLED doubles screen lifespan and brightness

• Integrates LTPO technology to reduce power consumption and enhance refresh rate adaptability

• The 8.6-gen line can cut 138 units of 15.6-inch panels per batch, 2.5 times that of 6-gen lines (54 units)

2. BOE Technology Group (BOE): Stable Layout of China’s Panel Giant

• Technology Route: Same as Samsung, adopting FMM + Tandem OLED technology

• Production Line Plan: Announced investment in late 2023; expected to "light up" (start initial operation) in H1 2026

• Market Strategy: Leveraging experience in supplying panels via 6-gen lines, it has secured partnerships with multiple brand clients, forming a solid customer base

III. FMM-free Camp: The Innovative Path of "Disruptors"

1. Visionox Technology: Pioneer of ViP Technology

• ViP Technology: Visionox Intelligent Pixelization, a mask-free technology that replaces FMM with photolithography

• Technology Breakthroughs:

• Pixel density reaches 1,700-2,000 ppi, far exceeding the FMM upper limit of 300-600 ppi

• Aperture ratio hits 69%, compared to only ~30% for FMM, boosting brightness by 4x (from 1,500nit to 6,000nit)

• Lifespan extends 6x (from 15,000 hours to 90,000 hours), and water-oxygen barrier capability improves 3x

• Yield Progress:

• Yield rate of smartwatch panels exceeds 90%, and that of smartphone panels reaches 60% (on 6-gen lines)

• Production Line Construction:

• The Hefei 8.6-gen ViP production line was capped in October 2025; volume production will start in Q1 2027

• Total investment is approximately RMB 55 billion; monthly capacity remains undisclosed

2. TCL Huaxing Optoelectronics: Firm Bet on Ink-Jet Printing

• IJP Technology: Ink-Jet Printing, which mixes organic materials into a solution and directly "prints" it onto substrates

• Technology Advantages:

• Material utilization rate exceeds 90%, compared to only ~30% for FMM, reducing material waste by approximately 66%

• Simplified process flow; equipment investment is about 43% lower than that of FMM

• The only OLED technology to achieve Real RGB Stripe arrangement, delivering clearer text display

• Production Line Plan:

• The Guangzhou 8.6-gen IJP production line broke ground in November 2025; mass production will start in Q4 2027

• Total investment is RMB 29.5 billion, with a designed monthly capacity of 22,500 substrates

IV. Core Technology Comparison: FMM vs. FMM-free

Source: TrendForce, Omdia, public information from manufacturers

V. Market Prospects and Competitive Dynamics

1. Market Size Forecast

• IT OLED Market: From USD 2.5 billion in 2024 to USD 8.9 billion in 2029, with a CAGR of 28.6%

• Laptop OLED: CAGR of 33% from 2023 to 2030

• Total IT OLED Demand (2023-2028): Expected to reach 60 million units, with a CAGR of 46%

2. Current Competitive Situation

• FMM Camp Leads: Dominates the market with mature technology, high yield, and solid customer relationships (e.g., Samsung’s exclusive Apple order)

• FMM-free Camp Gathers Momentum: Despite challenges in yield and materials, its cost advantages (40-50% lower equipment investment) and performance potential (high resolution, high brightness) have attracted significant market attention

• Key Variables:

• The FMM camp needs to address high costs and material waste

• The FMM-free camp must overcome bottlenecks in large-sized panel yield and material performance

• Apple’s orders may become a bellwether for technology route selection

VI. Future Outlook: The Ultimate Showdown of Technology Routes

Short-term (2026-2027): The FMM camp will lead the market with first-mover advantages and Apple’s orders; Samsung’s 8.6-gen line will dominate the high-end IT OLED market

Mid-term (2027-2029): FMM-free technology will gradually mature; Visionox and TCL Huaxing’s 8.6-gen lines will start mass production, and cost advantages will begin to emerge, potentially increasing their market share

Long-term (2030+):

• If FMM-free technology solves yield and material issues, it is likely to disrupt the traditional FMM route with dual advantages in cost and performance

• The FMM camp may maintain competitiveness through further optimizations (e.g., more advanced Tandem technology)

Ultimately, the two technology routes may form a differentiated coexistence pattern: FMM focusing on the high-end, high-yield market; FMM-free covering the mid-to-high-end and large-sized panel markets with its cost advantages

Note: The above analysis is based on the latest public information as of October 2025; uncertainties remain in technological development and market dynamics.

Gestant Display Technology Co.,Ltd. could provide a series of LCD,OLED and PCBA products, such as AMOLED Screen, PMOLED Screen, Round Display Screen, Flexible Display Screen, TFT LCD, Mono-LCD and Bar Display Screen. Customize PCBA/LCD/OLED/FPC/Backlight/Coverlens/TP solutions.

Gestant Display Technology Co.,LTD was founded in 2012 in Shenzhen China. Even, the founder of the company, has more than 15 years of rich experience in LCD display industry. He has been engaging in the basic research of LCD display technology in Japan since his graduate school and has been working in the flat panel display industry after graduation.

Proficient in the manufacturing process and technology development of LCD / OLED / polarizer, Even was also one of the members of China liquid crystal Association who has a senior industry background and supply chain resources. In the past three years, he assisted his shareholders in building factories, purchasing equipment，establishing production lines, and successfully obtaining ISO9001 and ISO14001 system certificates.

He has established good business relations with major panel manufacturers in China (BOE /Tianma / IVO /EDO / Visionox), and the glass supply is stable and sufficient.

Gestant Display's products are widely used in Smart wear，Smart home，Outdoor photography，IP phones, Medical care, Industrial control equipment, Automotive and Vehicle displays, Instrumentation, and other Information terminal applications which could offer long-term after-sale services(such as 2 years quality warranty, long-term supply) .