Industry news

Several China-based display panel makers have invested or plan to invest to set up AMOLED production lines. Japan Display, competing against AMOLED panel makers, will offer narrow-bezel and flexible TFT-LCD panels, according to Japan-based media reports.

AMOLED panels are thin and flexible and have excellent display quality and contrast but entail production cost 2-10 times that for TFT-LCD panels and have relatively short service life.

Japan Display has offered TFT-LCD panels with bezel as narrow as less than 1mm, facilitating use of such panels in foldable-screen smartphones. Japan Display will further offer flexible TFT-LCD panels in 2017 and plans to kick off volume production in 2018-2019.

Japan Display will invest in production of narrow-bezel and flexible TFT-LCD panels on its own but may also invest in production of AMOLED panels on a joint-venture basis.