UTG to account for around 80% of foldable cover windows in next 5 years
According to UBI Research
Ultra-thin glass (UTG) will account for 80% of all over windows used in foldable panels going forward, according to market research firm UBI Research.
Polyimide (PI) films will also continue to account for 20% of the total for the next five years, the research firm said.
Samsung Display will only supply foldable OLED panels with UTG applied to Samsung Electronics and Chinese customers this year, UBI Research said.
The South Korean display maker, the world’s largest OLED panel maker, will continue to use UTG as the cover window for its foldable panels, the firm said.
Meanwhile, transparent PI films will be useful for budget models or those with over 10-inch screen sizes, UBI Research said. The films will be used as cover window for budge model smartphones, tablets and notebooks going forward, it estimated. As there were multiple suppliers of PI films, it has an advantage over UTG in prices, the firm noted.
Chinese panel makers BOE and CSOT currently use PI films but they are collaborating with glass companies to secure technology in UTG, UBI Research said.
The future course of the cover window market will be determined by which material Samsung Electronics and Apple choose, the firm added.