According to Omdia, it is forecast that Amoled screen shipments for global smartphones will remain at 810 million units in 2026, down from 817 million units in 2025. This will mark the first annual decrease in Amoled shipments after three consecutive years of growth.
This expected decrease is said to be due to a shortage of memory supply and rapidly increasing memory prices, leading to smartphone manufacturers having to narrow down their factory and procurement plans for 2026. Smartphone manufacturers do not want to shift higher memory costs to consumers, amid concerns that rising retail prices could reduce demand and slow down the replacement cycle.
Therefore, Amoled panels, which are still in the process of expanding capacity and supply, have become the main target of smartphone manufacturers to partially compensate for memory price increases.
However, the possibility of further Amoled price reductions is limited. Memory costs are increasing, exceeding screen costs, while Amoled manufacturers have stepped up sharp price reductions in 2025 to compete for market share, making further price reductions in 2026 less room.
The direct cause of the current memory supply shortage and price increase is the surge in demand from AI servers, which are absorbing power and tightening supply across the entire consumer electronics ecosystem.
There is also a less well-known factor: ongoing geopolitical tensions, along with the shift to lower US interest rates and weaker USD, have encouraged more speculative capital to pour into the dollar-denominated commodity market, including gold, silver, copper and semiconductor.
This has led to the revaluation of basic raw materials, which are the primary components for electronic products, pushing import inflation to mid-range and low-end manufacturers.
In the current smartphone market, screen technology plays a key role in the user experience.
Among the popular choices, Amoled, LCD and Oled LTPO are the three main types of screens with clear advantages and disadvantages. Choosing appropriately will help enhance the smartphone experience.
In which, Amoled is a popular type of screen on phone lines from mid-range to high-end. Amoled's advantages are bright colors, high contrast and absolute black display ability because each pixel can self-brighten.
However, the weakness of this technology is that it is easily burned after a long period of use, especially when displaying static images.
