Driven by unprecedented demand for artificial intelligence data centers, memory prices continue to rise, and their impact continues to extend far beyond the semiconductor industry. According to the latest forecast from Counterpoint Research, Global display panel shipments will decline An increase of 4.7% in 2026 compared with the previous year.
The growth in DRAM and NAND costs has actually been transferred to the final price of smartphones, PCs and other electronic devices, thereby reducing demand, especially in the economy and mid-level segments.
Smartphones and tablets are the most affected segments
this Smartphones are the most punished industry. Counterpoint predicts that mobile phone panel shipments will decline by 9.5% by 2026. Bob O’Brien, research director at Counterpoint Research, said manufacturers will no longer maintain the aggressive pricing levels of past years. As a result, many consumers are delaying the purchase of new equipment or turning to the second-hand and refurbished markets.
The IT industry is also showing signs of slowing down, albeit to a more limited extent. The shipment volume is Monitoring panel It is now expected to decline by 1.7% in 2026, up from the previous forecast of -3%. For notebooks, the forecast improved from -8.8% to -2.7%, thanks first to good shipments in the first half of the year. However, Counterpoint warned that the issue could be delayed. Rising finished product prices may actually prompt manufacturers to reduce panel purchases in 2027, leading to a new drop in demand.
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As mainstream segments slow down, Quality technology continues to grow. Many manufacturers are strengthening their OLED product offerings to make up for the difficulty of cheap products. By 2026, shipments of OLED panels for displays are expected to grow by 60%, while shipments of OLED panels for notebook computers are expected to grow by 50%. The TV market has also shown greater resilience. TVs are less dependent on memory chips than smartphones and PCs, which is why the impact of the crisis has been more limited. Counterpoint prediction Grow more than 10% Mini LED panel shipments in 2026 and 2027.
However, the automotive industry remains the most dynamic segment of the entire display industry. The integration of more and more screens into cars is supporting demand and making cars the only one of the six major display applications expected to grow by 2026. This trend is expected to continue until 2027, supported by the increasing average size of screens installed in vehicles.