The Memory Crisis Hits Smartphones: OLED Panel Shipments Plummet

It's not a good time for the smartphone sector: the memory crisis risks translating into a slowdown for the entire market, affecting component manufacturers as well. Confirmation comes from the data of the UBI Research survey regarding OLED panel shipments for smartphones.

In the first quarter of 2026, in fact, shipments recorded a sharp decline compared to the data from last year. The drop is even more pronounced compared to the previous quarter. It's worth noting that smartphone shipments grew at the beginning of 2026, but in the coming months the market is expected to slow down.

A Difficult Period

OLED display shipments are on the decline: the market experienced a very negative first quarter of 2026, with a 12% drop compared to the first quarter of 2025 and a 20% decline compared to the fourth quarter of 2025. According to UBI Research, the drop in shipments is also linked to rising memory prices.

It's noteworthy that Samsung Display has increased its market share, rising from 42.8% last year to 44.4% by the end of the first quarter of 2026. LG Display has also registered progress, increasing from 7.6% to 9%. Overall, the shipments of the Korean duo have recorded a 7% decline during the quarter.

The performance of Chinese manufacturers (BOE, TCL, CSOT, and others) is, overall, significantly more negative. Shipments have indeed fallen by 17% year-on-year during the first quarter of the year. Thus, the memory crisis has impacted these producers more severely.