The Zhitong Finance App learned that TrendForce Jibang published an article stating that Apple (AAPL.US) launched a tablet product focusing on AMOLED screens at the May product launch. The purpose of the new Pro version of the AMOLED screen is to improve the long-term burning and lifespan problems of AMOLED screens, without requiring the advantages of a backlight module, to usher in the thinnest tablet product in history.

Furthermore, due to chip upgrades, and increased specifications such as the use of dual-layer AMOLED panels, this means that the price of the terminal will also increase. The price of the new generation iPad Pro will increase by 200 US dollars compared to the previous generation. In addition, the iPad Air also launched a 13-inch product at the same time, which may also crowd out potential demand due to scattered firepower. As a result, TrendForce Jibang Consulting estimates that the total shipment volume of the 11-inch and 13-inch AMOLED iPad Pro in 2024 is only 4.5 to 5 million units.

TrendForce Jibang Consulting further explained that judging from AMOLED iPad Pro shipments, the scale of the iPad Pro series has subsided compared to the past. However, the introduction of AMOLED panels into the iPad Pro series means that AMOLED technology has reached a new milestone in the development of mid-size panels. It is estimated that in 2024, the overall AMOLED tablet shipment volume will be about 9 million units, accounting for about 7% of the overall tablet market.

AMOLED screen products were mentioned earlier. Although the high contrast and bright colors are really eye-catching, they have always been criticized due to performance and longevity issues. Coupled with the increasing size of IT products, the impact on power consumption is even more obvious. In order to meet application specifications and expand the market, improving AMOLED performance and longevity can be divided into several key directions.

First, improving material stability. In the development of blue light-emitting materials, due to their relatively low efficiency and stability, the further development and application of AMOLED technology is greatly limited. With the development of new materials and the upcoming commercialization of blue phosphorescence, there will be an opportunity to greatly improve overall performance.

Second, with the introduction of new technology, TFT uses low-temperature polysilicon oxide (LTPO) to effectively control electricity leakage and achieve dynamic refresh rate requirements, and power consumption can be reduced by 15 to 20%; using Tandem technology to connect light emitting layers in series, compared with single layer, double layer devices achieve a current density of 1/2 of a single layer, and their lifespan can be increased by at least two times.

Third, with the addition of high-generation manufacturers, in order to effectively reduce costs and expand AMOLED penetration into the market, panel manufacturers have recently proposed plans for higher-generation production lines to obtain more effective economic cuts. With the release of production capacity after 2026 and an effective increase in yield, the IT application market will be further expanded.

TrendForce Jibang Consulting said that before significant breakthroughs in material efficiency occurred, Tandem technology provided an immediate solution for performance and longevity. In addition to RGB AMOLED's TanDEM, WOLED uses vertical stacking of blue, yellow, and green AMOLED light sources to produce white light, while QD OLED stacks blue AMOLEDs as light sources and places quantum dot materials that produce red and green light on them. Both can effectively improve photoelectric conversion efficiency and luminance.

This superimposed high brightness and high efficiency characteristics make it more suitable for a wider range of applications. In addition to mobile phones and TV displays, Tandem technology can also be applied to head-mounted displays, intelligent automotive display screens, etc., to provide consumers with a higher quality and more diverse display experience. Since the manufacturing process of Tandem AMOLED is relatively complex, it is necessary to accurately control the layer thickness and stacking order of multiple different materials to maintain optical and luminescence uniformity. Especially when promoted to the G8.7 generation factory, improving yield and optimizing costs will be an important issue to be faced in the future.

In terms of laying out large-scale AMOLED panel lines, Samsung and BOE (000725.SZ) are currently progressing rapidly. They plan to use hybrid AMOLED with thin glass substrates and film packaging to reduce weight. Evaporation uses Tokki and Sunic machines, and plans to have a certain mass production scale from 2026 to 2027 to meet the brand's demand for AMOLED display screens in tablet and notebook computer products. Related supply chains such as DNP and Poongwon Precision have also begun to plan large Generation FMM mass production.

In addition, Vicino (002387.SZ)'s mass production plan for VIP lithography pixel technology and CSOT's current yield improvement progress and mass production plans for the G5.5 IJP-OLED production line are also worth paying attention to. In summary, TrendForce Jibang Consulting believes that the next few years will be a critical period for increasing the penetration rate of AMOLED IT products. The improvement and optimization of technical capabilities will push AMOLED displays to more advanced and higher added value products.