Apple Resumes Buying LCDs from Samsung Display

The Korean thin glass market is turning around thanks to Apple resuming its LCD purchase from Samsung Display. The thin glass companies showed a clear sign of turn-around in the second quarter. The thin glass sales of four major companies, Soulbrain, Chemtronics, Global Display, and Avatec, this year is expected to reach KRW 534 billion, which is about 34% greater, year-on-year. When compared to the sales in 2011, the year when the thin glass process was introduced in full force, the sales grew by whopping 134%.

The two smartphone giants, Samsung electronics and Apple, led the growth of thin glass industry. Apple adopted the thin glass not only to its iPhone and iPad, but also to the recent MacBook series. Samsung heavily used thin glass in its Galaxy S series smartphones. Intel also adopted thin glass process to its LCD for ultrabooks.

As the thin glass process was adopted to the production of touch screen panels, the related industry is expected to show stiff growth every year - there are very few Japanese or Taiwanese competitors in the thin glass market.

The industry is guessing that one of the reasons Apple decided to come back to Samsung Display is because of the thin glass. Samsung Display’s thin glass vendors have made a very visible growth in the industry, because Samsung Display, unlike LG Display, relies on its vendors for most of the thin glass processes.

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