DigiTimes 综述：PC 高端化推动 Tandem OLED 竞赛，LGD 领先、三星 Display 追赶

Competition in the global PC market is shifting from a focus on shipment volumes of low-cost models towards premium, high-performance devices, intensifying the race in OLED display technology. Tandem OLED, which combines higher brightness, longer lifespan, and lower power consumption, is emerging as a key technology for premium PCs, sharpening competition between South Korea's two leading panel makers, Samsung Display (SDC) and LG Display (LGD).

Revenue outpaces shipments
According to Omdia data cited by Yonhap News Agency and Chosunbiz , US PC shipments rose just 1% year on year in the second quarter of 2026, while sales revenue increased 13.1%, reflecting a growing share of premium products in one of the world's largest PC markets.
Shipments of PCs priced below US$699 fell 6.5%, while those costing more than US$1,500 surged 36.8%. As a result, the average US PC selling price rose 12%, exceeding US$1,000 for the first time.
Omdia attributed the shift to rising component costs, particularly memory, and to manufacturers prioritising limited production capacity for higher-priced, more profitable models. The premiumisation trend is also spreading globally.
OLED shipments take off
The transition is accelerating OLED adoption. Omdia forecasts that global monitor and notebook panel shipments will decline 0.4% to approximately 398 million units in 2026, while OLED shipments for the same applications will jump 55.6% to 23.95 million units.
Panel makers are consequently shifting their technological priorities from reducing OLED manufacturing costs towards increasing the value of individual PCs. Tandem OLED is gaining prominence for its ability to sustain higher brightness while reducing power consumption.
Unlike conventional OLED panels with a single light-emitting layer, tandem OLED stacks multiple organic emission layers to improve brightness, extend operating lifespan, and lower energy consumption.
LGD leads, SDC closes in
LG Display is widely regarded as having an early advantage in tandem OLED technology. It became the first company to commercialise the technology globally in 2019, and began mass production of notebook tandem OLED panels in 2024.
At SID Display Week 2026, LG Display unveiled its third-generation tandem OLED technology, delivering an 18% reduction in power consumption and more than doubling operating lifespan. The company has also accumulated technologies and intellectual property across OLED materials, light-emitting devices, stacking structures, and driving technologies, reinforcing its early manufacturing advantage.
Samsung Display, meanwhile, is accelerating its own tandem OLED development. Its QD-OLED Penta Tandem technology, introduced in early 2026, increases the number of blue OLED emission layers from four to five, improving luminous efficiency by a factor of 1.3 and doubling lifespan.
In July 2026, SDC announced full-scale supply of notebook tandem OLED panels to PC manufacturers, with the panels meeting the high-brightness certification requirements of the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA).
Industry observers expect competition in the premium IT OLED market to intensify, with LG Display seeking to consolidate its position through manufacturing experience and patents, and SDC narrowing the gap through technological advances and customer expansion.