BOE's 8.6-Gen OLED Line: First Sample Already Out For Validation

On 2nd Apr, BOE shared a news during its 2025 annual results briefing. They said its 8.6-Gen OLED production line already worked on joint projects with local and international brands in laptop, tablet and smartphone spaces. The first product already sent out for sample validation.

BOE also noted the evaporation equipment for first phase of 8.6-Gen line is right on schedule-They're busy with equipment tuning, process testing and customer samples' preparation. The mass production for 8th-Gen OLED line planned for the second half of 2026. Now the focus is on sample validation with customers and making sure the process is stable.

Why Gen 8.6 matter? Compared to the 6th-Gen lines mostly used for smartphone displays, the 8.6-Gen line uses larger glass substrates, which makes it a much better fit for middle size IT devices like laptops and tablets. BOE expects OLED penetration in tablets climb up from ~4% in 2025 to 9% in 2028. To laptops, they see it rising from 5% to 14% over the same period.

According BOE, 2026 to 2027 will be a turning point-That's when middle sized OLED panels will start moving from just try to become a real mainstream option.

That's to say, BOE admits demand growth for OLED slow a bit. When asked about the supply and demand outlook for both LCD and OLED, Vice Chairman and CEO Feng Qiang gave a few specifics. "Last year, demand for flexible OLED smartphone panels hit 668 million units," he said. "This year, we expect around 675 million units." He added that the flexible OLED market will likely see some quarterly swings – prices will probably soften in the first half of the year, then stabilize in the second half.

In 2025, BOE shipped over 150 million flexible AMOLED panels, up about 8% year over year. For 2026, the company is aiming for continued growth. Based on current market conditions, they've set a target of 160 million units, with a longer-term goal of 200 million units by 2028.