More than half of the customers preordering Samsung Electronics’ latest foldable smartphones are in their teens, 20s and 30s, with the newly introduced passport-style Galaxy Z Fold8 emerging as the most popular model.

Samsung Electronics said on July 31 that customers in their teens through 30s accounted for more than 50% of preorders placed through Samsung.com for the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8 since reservations opened on July 28. The preorder period runs through Aug. 3.

Among younger customers, the Galaxy Z Fold8 was the most frequently selected model. By color, Cream was the most popular choice, followed by Pistachio and Lavender, both exclusive to Samsung.com.

For the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Graphite and the Samsung.com-exclusive Green Shadow were the most popular colors. For the Galaxy Z Flip8, Mint, Cream and Pink received the strongest customer preference.

Samsung attributed the higher share of younger buyers to promotional benefits such as storage upgrades and features that simplify transferring data from existing devices to Galaxy smartphones.

Customers who purchase a 256-gigabyte (GB) model during the preorder period will receive a 512GB model. Buyers of the 512GB Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold8 can upgrade to a 1-terabyte (TB) model for an additional 310,700 won.

Preorder customers will also receive a six-month subscription to Google AI Pro, a three-month subscription to audiobook and content platform Welaaa, and discount coupons for Galaxy Watches and accessories. Samsung is also offering its New Galaxy AI Subscription Club program for the new devices, as well as the Flip Youth Subscription program targeted at customers in their teens and 20s.

Samsung Electronics' privacy OLED panel used in the Galaxy S26 Ultra is estimated to cost more than 10% more to manufacture than a conventional low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED panel, according to industry sources.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra's OLED panel adopts a dual-pixel architecture, in which each pixel contains separate red, green, and blue (RGB) sub-pixels for wide-viewing-angle mode and narrow-viewing-angle privacy mode. Market research firm Counterpoint Research estimates that the panel's overall production cost is about 10% higher than that of a comparable LTPO OLED panel.

In standard mode, the display operates using the wide-viewing-angle pixels, whereas privacy mode primarily drives the narrow-viewing-angle pixels. The panel achieves its privacy function through a multilayer black matrix (BM) structure formed deeply around the narrow-viewing-angle pixels, allowing light to pass directly toward the user while blocking light emitted at wider angles. Alignment accuracy between the light-emitting area and the black matrix affects brightness, viewing-angle control performance, and manufacturing yield.

Manufacturing complexity has increased further through the use of Color Filter on Encapsulation (CoE) technology, which eliminates the polarizer layer by forming color filters and black matrix structures directly on top of the OLED encapsulation layer. While CoE helps reduce panel thickness and improve light efficiency, the privacy OLED design requires the integration of additional pixels and multilayer black matrix structures, adding to process complexity.

The number of thin-film transistor (TFT) masks required for CoE integration has increased significantly compared with the OLED panel used in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, resulting in higher manufacturing costs. Additional masks also increase exposure, etching, and deposition processes, along with equipment utilization time and material consumption.

Specific panel supply prices have not been disclosed. However, industry estimates place display costs at approximately $84 for the Galaxy S23 Ultra, $88 for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and $80–87 for the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The Galaxy S26 Ultra's display cost is estimated at approximately $88–96.

Demand for privacy OLED technology is expected to grow. Market research firm Sigmaintell forecasts that smartphone shipments featuring privacy-mode displays will increase from 1 million units in 2025 to 21 million units in 2026, before reaching 29 million units in 2027.

Samsung Electronics is also expected to expand the technology beyond the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Privacy displays are planned for all four Galaxy S27 models—Base, Plus, Pro, and Ultra—scheduled for release next year. Meanwhile, privacy displays for foldable devices remain under development and have not yet been implemented in mass-production specifications.

An industry source noted that privacy OLED technology involves more than simply adding a light-blocking layer. “It requires simultaneous changes to pixel layouts, optical structures, and driving circuits,” the source said. “As production volumes increase, simplifying mask processes and improving yields will be critical to reducing cost increases.”

Sunic System said it will expand financial support for its partner companies following an upgrade to its corporate credit rating.

The company announced on July 31 that it recently received an A+ credit rating from a state-owned bank, a level it described as the highest available for mid-sized companies.

Sunic System said the evaluation reflected its stable financial structure, business performance and competitiveness in the global organic light-emitting diode (OLED) deposition equipment market. The assessment also took into account the company's efforts to develop next-generation businesses, including OLEDoS and perovskite technologies, as well as plans to expand its production infrastructure.

The company added that its ratings from major credit assessment agencies have also improved compared with the previous year.

Based on the upgraded credit profile, Sunic System has launched a financing support program for its suppliers. The company will recommend partner firms requiring facility investment or working capital financing to the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund (KODIT). Recommended firms receive preferential treatment when raising funds from financial institutions through KODIT's preferential guarantee program for partner companies.

Sunic System said it is the first case in which a general mid-sized company, excluding defense firms, has used KODIT's preferential guarantee program for partner companies to arrange financing support for its partners.

Apple is strongly demanding lower display panel prices as rising memory semiconductor prices push up the cost of building iPhones.

According to industry sources on July 24, Apple has proposed a price of about $70 for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which it will unveil this year. The industry estimates that Samsung Display and LG Display are supplying the panels at an average of $66.5, even lower than that figure. That is about 20% below the previous model.

iPhone OLED prices have fallen with each new product in the past as well. Depending on supply timing and conditions, iPhone 16 Pro Max panels at times exceeded $100, but fell to the $80 range for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Panels for the iPhone 18 Pro Max are about 20% lower than that. On top of the usual generational price decline, the size of the reduction has grown this time, according to industry officials.

Notably, the OLED panels for the iPhone 18 will use M16, the latest organic material set, which improves luminous efficiency, lifespan and color characteristics. Panel makers must adjust process conditions and stabilize yields to suit the new material. Product specifications and production difficulty have risen, yet prices have instead fallen.

Rising memory semiconductor prices have worked as a negative factor, as smartphone makers seek to absorb the cost increase by cutting procurement costs for other components such as displays and camera modules.

Samsung Display President Lee Cheong said on July 22 at K-Display 2026 that "this year is extremely difficult because of chipflation," adding that "very strong pressure is coming in to lower component and display prices." LG Display President Jeong Cheol-dong also said of the pressure to cut prices that the company is "being affected to some degree," but that it is "at a manageable level because we are pursuing cost innovation."

According to market research firm UBI Research, Samsung Display is expected to supply 46 million OLED panels for the bar-type iPhone 18 this year, comprising 2 million for the standard model, 18 million for the Pro and 26 million for the Pro Max. LG Display's expected volume is 41.09 million panels, made up of 1.09 million for the standard model, 19 million for the Pro and 21 million for the Pro Max.

"Apple is demanding steep price cuts from panel suppliers on the grounds of rising memory prices," an industry official said. "Supply prices are falling even for high-specification products using the latest organic materials, so panel makers' second-half earnings will vary depending on supply volumes, yields and the extent of cost reductions."

Smartphone makers are expected to expand the use of lower-resolution flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels in mid- and low-end models as memory prices rise. Rather than reducing OLED adoption, companies are seeking to lower cost pressure by adjusting specifications for components such as memory capacity and display resolution.

Lisa Lee, chief executive officer of market research firm Sigmaintell, said during a media briefing held at the Fastfive shared office in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on July 23 that "smartphone brands are considering applying flexible OLED displays with slightly lower resolutions to low-end markets." She added that "device makers are looking for ways to reduce costs by combining different specifications."

Smartphone manufacturers are asking component suppliers, including panel and camera makers, to lower prices in order to offset rising memory costs. They are also reviewing adjustments to product configurations, including system-on-chip (SoC) specifications, memory capacity and display resolution.

Sigmaintell said SoCs account for a larger share of smartphone component costs than panels and cameras, meaning manufacturers are likely to restructure the overall cost structure of products rather than seek price reductions from individual components alone. The company said product strategies may differ by segment, with mid- and low-end devices reducing memory capacity or screen resolution while premium models maintain existing specifications.

"Panels and cameras are less expensive than SoCs, limiting the potential for cost reductions," Lee said. "Brand companies are looking for ways to lower costs not only in panels and cameras but also across other components."

Smartphone makers are seeking to maintain OLED adoption partly to reduce the burden on consumers caused by higher prices. Keeping existing specifications unchanged could significantly increase manufacturing costs for budget smartphones, making price increases unavoidable.

Instead of raising prices alone, manufacturers are expected to maintain product competitiveness by offering features that consumers can directly perceive, such as OLED displays. "Even if prices increase, companies will likely provide new features along with the higher price," Lee said. "Applying OLED to new products is one possible approach."

Flexible OLED panels use bendable substrates instead of glass. They have traditionally been used mainly in premium smartphones, but their adoption has expanded into mid-range and budget devices as Chinese panel manufacturers increase supply and panel prices decline.

The smartphone market is expected to contract again next year. Sigmaintell forecasts global smartphone shipments will decline 3.3% to 1.0264 billion units next year from 1.0614 billion units this year. If rising memory prices and weakening demand for budget smartphones intensify, shipments could fall further to 975 million units.

The decline in smartphone demand is expected to continue through the first quarter of next year, with the pace of contraction slowing from the second quarter. The Chinese market is expected to experience a larger decline than the global market due to its higher share of low-end smartphones.

The memory shortage is being driven by rising demand for artificial intelligence (AI) servers. Sigmaintell said consumer memory supply is being reduced as demand for DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI servers increases.

Rising memory prices are also expected to affect smartphone shipments by manufacturer. Sigmaintell expects Apple and Samsung Electronics to maintain or expand their market shares due to stable component supply chains, while Chinese smartphone makers with higher exposure to mid- and low-end products will face greater pressure from rising costs.

However, the decline in smartphone sales is not expected to immediately translate into lower demand for OLED panels. Smartphone makers continue to transition products from liquid crystal displays (LCDs) to OLEDs, while adoption of lower-specification flexible OLED panels could increase in mid- and low-end models.

"Even if the overall smartphone market shrinks, the share of flexible OLEDs will continue to expand," Lee said. "In particular, we expect penetration of low-cost flexible OLED products to increase."

Coway’s wheelchair basketball team, the Coway Blue Wheels, won the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Governor’s Cup International Invitational Wheelchair Basketball Tournament.

Coway said on July 23 that the Blue Wheels captured the title at the 13th Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Governor’s Cup International Invitational Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, held at Jeju Halla Gymnasium from July 17 to 20. The team remained undefeated from the preliminary round through the final.

The tournament featured seven teams from South Korea and overseas, including the Coway Blue Wheels, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province team, the Chuncheon Tigers, and teams from Japan.

The Blue Wheels defeated Suwon Mugunghwa Electronics 65-38 and Daegu Metropolitan City Hall 97-60 in the preliminary round to finish first in their group and advance to the final. They then beat the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province team 65-59 in the championship game. Kim Ho-yong and Kwak Jun-sung each scored 20 points, while Kim Sang-yeol added 13.

Kwak Jun-sung was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), while Head Coach Kim Young-moo received the Best Coach Award.

The Blue Wheels also won the Asia-Oceania Club Exchange Tournament in 2024. This year, the team has claimed titles at the Holt National Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, the Korea Post President’s Cup Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, and the Jeju international tournament.

“Our players maintained their focus until the end, which enabled us to win the championship,” Head Coach Kim Young-moo said. “We will continue striving for strong results in the remaining tournaments this season.”

The Coway Blue Wheels were established in 2022. They are the only corporate-operated wheelchair basketball team among South Korea’s professional wheelchair basketball clubs. During the off-season, the team organizes wheelchair basketball experience programs and school sports club competitions.

Samsung Electronics Co. is expanding its foldable smartphone lineup to three models.

​Roh Tae-moon, President, Chief Executive Officer and Head of the Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics, said at a media briefing held after the Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event at Old Billingsgate in London on July 22 that foldable smartphones have moved beyond introducing a new form factor and become part of consumers' everyday lives.

​"Foldables have moved beyond the stage of introducing a new form factor and have become part of everyday life," Roh said. "We have broadened customer choice to meet increasingly diverse consumer expectations."

​Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold8, Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Flip8 at the event, expanding its foldable portfolio from the two-model Fold and Flip lineup it had maintained since launching its first foldable smartphone in 2019.

◇​"We Welcome More Foldable Competitors, but Seven Years of Experience Cannot Be Matched"

​Roh said he expects more companies to enter the foldable smartphone market in the future.

​"As the foldable market matures, more companies will enter," he said. "That means foldables are becoming mainstream and the market is expanding, which we welcome."

​However, Roh emphasized that Samsung's seven years of accumulated user experience will be difficult for competitors to replicate in a short period. Foldable devices are not defined solely by folding hardware, he said, but also require the operating system, user interface and third-party applications to be optimized for different display configurations.

​"The competitiveness of Samsung's foldables comes from integrating hardware innovation, Galaxy AI and the consumer experience into a single product," Roh said.

◇Galaxy AI Installed Base to Reach 800 Million Devices

​Samsung aims to increase the number of devices capable of using Galaxy AI to 800 million by the end of this year, including existing devices upgraded through software updates.

​"The competitive advantage of AI will not be how intelligent it is, but how well it understands users," Roh said. "People do not want to learn AI—they want it to provide practical help in their daily lives."

​He said AI will evolve beyond simply answering questions into agentic AI capable of completing tasks on behalf of users.

​Samsung plans to leverage both proprietary and third-party AI models. The company will use its in-house Samsung Gauss model and Bixby for Samsung applications and device functions, while deploying external models such as Google Gemini for features integrated with Google's services.

​Samsung also plans to expand partnerships beyond Google. The company is already working with Perplexity and is evaluating the adoption of additional third-party AI models.

​"We are not committed to a single AI solution," Roh said. "If an external AI model is suitable for the mobile user experience and services, we will adopt multiple AI models."

◇CEO-Led Organization to Accelerate Robotics Commercialization

​Samsung is also moving its robotics business from research and development into commercialization. The company recently established the Robotics Experience (RX) Business Promotion Office, reporting directly to Roh, bringing together robotics technologies and personnel that had previously been spread across multiple organizations.

​"We created a dedicated organization to properly begin the full-scale commercialization of the advanced development and investments we have made in robotics over many years," Roh said. "Robotics is one of the key future growth drivers for the DX Division."

​Samsung previously became the largest shareholder of Rainbow Robotics and has operated its Future Robotics Task Force. The company plans to first deploy robots in manufacturing facilities to verify the technology before expanding into enterprise and consumer markets.

​Samsung is also preparing a successor to the Galaxy Ring.

​"We will not release new products mechanically according to a fixed schedule," Roh said. "We will launch them when innovations that satisfy consumers are ready. We are preparing Galaxy Ring 2 to deliver a new wearable experience."

​◇Cost Increases Beyond Supply Chain Efforts May Be Reflected in Prices

​Roh said Samsung will work closely with supply chain partners to minimize the impact of rising memory and key component costs. The company said it coordinated supply volumes and delivery schedules in advance with strategic suppliers to ensure stable production of the Galaxy Z Fold8 series.

​However, Samsung left open the possibility of reflecting cost increases in product prices if they exceed what can be absorbed through supply chain optimization.

​"We will not pass 100% of higher production costs on to consumers and will work with our partners to minimize the burden," Roh said. "However, if cost pressures exceed a manageable level, we will have no choice but to reflect part of the increase in the product's launch price."

South Korea's display industry has begun formulating policy recommendations to accelerate development of the inorganic light-emitting display industry, including microLED technologies. The proposals will be submitted to the government in October.

The Korea Display Industry Association (KDIA) announced on July 22 that it held the 2026 Regular Meeting of the Inorganic Light-Emitting Display Subcommittee at COEX in Seoul.

The meeting brought together 21 companies spanning materials, components, equipment, panel manufacturing and finished products, including subcommittee chair Seoul Viosys. Participants discussed policy measures needed to expand the market for inorganic light-emitting displays and strengthen the industry's global competitiveness.

Inorganic light-emitting displays use inorganic materials as light-emitting devices and encompass technologies such as microLED, quantum dot (QD) and nanoLED displays. Compared with organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, they offer longer operating life and higher brightness. However, commercialization has progressed slowly because of high production costs and the lack of standardized manufacturing technologies.

The South Korean government has operated the Inorganic Light-Emitting Industry Alliance since 2023. In April 2024, it launched the industry subcommittee to collect feedback and address challenges facing companies in the sector.

During the meeting, participants identified industry needs in four key areas: infrastructure and standards, technology development, tax incentives and policy support, and workforce development. They also emphasized the need for government measures to encourage private-sector investment and research and development.

KDIA said it will consolidate the industry's recommendations and submit them as policy proposals at the next meeting of the Inorganic Light-Emitting Industry Alliance, scheduled for October.

In 2025, the government launched a 484 billion won initiative to build an ecosystem for inorganic light-emitting displays. The program aims to strengthen domestic capabilities in core technologies while developing supply chains for materials, components and manufacturing equipment.

Overseas, Taiwan's AUO launched a microLED smartwatch with Garmin in 2025, while Chinese display manufacturers are also expanding production capacity for the technology.

"Inorganic light-emitting displays are a future growth engine that South Korea must secure to maintain its leadership as an unrivaled display powerhouse," said Lee Seung-woo, executive vice president of the Korea Display Industry Association. "The association will serve as a central platform to help the government and industry work together as one team and turn that vision into tangible results."

Samsung Electronics unveiled its next generation of Galaxy devices—including foldable smartphones, smartwatches and AI-powered smart glasses—laying out a broader vision for an agentic AI ecosystem in which smartphones, wearables and eyewear work together to anticipate users' needs.

At its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event in London on July 22, Samsung introduced the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8, alongside the Galaxy Watch Ultra2, Galaxy Watch9 and its upcoming Intelligent Eyewear, which is scheduled to launch later this year.

The company expanded its foldable smartphone lineup from two models to three by adding the flagship Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra. The Fold8 Ultra features an 8-inch main display, a 200-megapixel camera and a 5,000mAh battery. It measures 4.1mm thick when unfolded and weighs 215 grams.

The standard Fold8 is designed with media consumption in mind, offering a 7.6-inch main display and a 5.5-inch cover display while weighing 201 grams. The Flip8 emphasizes portability with a weight of 180 grams and a thickness of 6.1mm, allowing users to access major apps and AI features directly from the cover screen without opening the device.

Both the Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra are the first Samsung smartphones to incorporate Flex Titanium, a structural technology combining a titanium alloy film with a reinforced titanium plate. Samsung said the redesigned internal support structure and hinge reduce thickness while improving durability and minimizing display creases. Peak display brightness has also increased 15% from the previous generation to 3,000 nits.

The new devices feature Gemini Intelligence, jointly developed with Google, enabling contextual AI interactions across multiple applications. The system understands both on-screen content and conversations, allowing users to perform tasks such as searching for a restaurant, making a reservation and adding the appointment to their calendar in a single workflow. Samsung said the AI currently integrates with more than 40 applications, including food delivery, shopping and reservation services.

Samsung also introduced Now Nudge, an AI feature that proactively recommends next actions based on context. For example, it can suggest creating a calendar event when users make plans during a conversation or recommend saving a location after it is searched. On larger foldable displays, users can simultaneously view their conversation with the AI assistant and the progress of ongoing tasks.

Samsung is also expanding AI beyond smartphones through its Intelligent Eyewear platform. The smart glasses integrate cameras, microphones, speakers and sensors into the frame, allowing them to recognize the user's surroundings. They can translate foreign-language menus into spoken audio, capture meeting documents and whiteboards, and automatically organize the content in the Samsung Notes app.

The Intelligent Eyewear runs on the Android XR platform and is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 processor. Samsung said the device provides up to nine hours of battery life on a single charge. Eyewear brands Gentle Monster and Warby Parker collaborated on the industrial design, and Samsung has revealed four design variants to date.

Samsung also strengthened the health monitoring capabilities of its smartwatch lineup. The Galaxy Watch Ultra2 features an 800mAh battery—35% larger than its predecessor—and a display with peak brightness of up to 5,000 nits. It adds dedicated trail running and diving modes while upgrading durability with an IP69K rating for water and dust resistance.

The Galaxy Watch9 monitors heart rate, respiratory rate, skin temperature and blood oxygen saturation during sleep to detect changes in users' health conditions. It also provides a heart health score based on sleep quality, physical activity and body composition, along with personalized exercise and recovery guidance.

Samsung said each Galaxy device has a distinct role within its AI ecosystem: smartphones understand user behavior and digital content, smartwatches monitor physical health and AI glasses perceive the surrounding environment. By combining information gathered across all three devices, the company aims to deliver proactive AI experiences that recommend actions before users issue commands.

"As AI continues to evolve, mobile devices will become the products that understand users best and integrate most naturally into everyday life, serving as the closest point of interaction with consumers," said TM Roh, president and head of Samsung Electronics' Device eXperience (DX) Division. "The Galaxy Z series will further advance the mobile experience through highly refined foldable devices while delivering personalized AI services that usher in the next era of intelligence."

LG Display returned to a cumulative operating profit in the first half of the year despite the seasonal slowdown in demand and one-off costs related to workforce optimization.

The company said on July 22 that it posted revenue of 5.6121 trillion won and an operating loss of 107.7 billion won for the second quarter.

Revenue rose 0.4% from 5.587 trillion won a year earlier. The operating loss narrowed by 8.4 billion won from 116.1 billion won in the second quarter of 2025.

For the first half of the year, LG Display reported cumulative revenue of 11.1461 trillion won and an operating profit of 39.0 billion won. Compared with revenue of 11.6523 trillion won and an operating loss of 82.6 billion won in the same period of 2025, revenue declined 4.3%, while the company returned to profitability. First-half earnings improved by 121.6 billion won year over year.

The first half is typically a seasonally weak period for the display industry as device manufacturers adjust component inventories ahead of new product launches in the second half of the year. The second quarter also included one-off costs related to workforce optimization.

LG Display said it maintained first-half profitability by further strengthening its OLED-centered business structure despite seasonal weakness and one-time expenses. Excluding those one-off factors, the company's core business also remained profitable during the second quarter.

In the second half, LG Display plans to strengthen its competitiveness through technology-driven cost innovation. Beyond simple cost reductions, the company will improve efficiency across development, manufacturing and production by accelerating its AI transformation (AX), further enhancing its business fundamentals.

In its small- and medium-sized display business, LG Display will focus on differentiated technologies to strengthen competitiveness in the high-end segment. The company said its stable technology development and mass-production capabilities will allow it to respond flexibly to changes in market demand.

In the large-sized display business, LG Display aims to reinforce its leadership in the premium market with differentiated technologies and cost-competitive products. As the monitor market continues to shift from liquid crystal display (LCD) to OLED technology, the company plans to expand its lineup of high-value products, including gaming OLED monitors, and increase shipments.

"We will continue improving our full-year performance and further solidify a stable earnings structure by advancing cost innovation and strengthening business competitiveness in the second half," said Kim Sung-hyun, chief financial officer of LG Display.

LG Display returned to an underlying operating profit in the second quarter after excluding one-off voluntary retirement costs, reflecting the success of its OLED-focused business restructuring, yield improvements and technology-driven cost reductions. Securities analysts now expect the company to post an operating profit in the mid-1 trillion won range this year.

The company reported second-quarter revenue of 5.6121 trillion won and an operating loss of 108.0 billion won on July 22. Revenue increased 1% from the previous quarter and remained broadly unchanged from a year earlier, while the operating loss narrowed slightly from 116.0 billion won in the second quarter of 2025.

The reported operating loss included approximately 240 billion won in one-off expenses related to workforce optimization, including voluntary retirement programs. Excluding those costs, LG Display generated an operating profit from its core business.

"Over the past four to five years, we consistently recorded operating losses in the second quarter," Kim Sung-hyun, chief financial officer of LG Display, said during the earnings conference call. "The significance of this quarter is that, excluding one-time costs, we have broken out of that structural pattern of second-quarter losses."

For the first half of the year, LG Display posted cumulative revenue of 11.1461 trillion won and an operating profit of 38.7 billion won, compared with an operating loss of 82.9 billion won in the same period of 2025. It marked the company's first first-half operating profit since 2021. Although revenue declined from a year earlier, operating earnings improved by 121.6 billion won.

The results reflect the business transformation strategy championed by Jung Cheol-dong, president and chief executive officer of LG Display. Speaking to reporters after the VIP tour at K-Display 2026 on July 22, Jung said the company is strengthening its profitability by building a more resilient business structure. "We are moving toward establishing a stable earnings structure and improving profitability based on stronger business fundamentals," Jung said. "We expect to deliver solid results in the second half as well."

Jung also emphasized technology-driven cost innovation through new materials, manufacturing methods and production processes. Rather than relying solely on cost-cutting measures, the company aims to lower production costs by enhancing technological competitiveness while delivering differentiated value to customers.

Second-quarter shipment area reached 3.6 million square meters, up 12% from the previous quarter, driven by increased shipments of large-sized products, including TVs and monitors. Revenue per square meter declined 13% to $1,079, reflecting the seasonal slowdown in mobile OLED demand. OLED products accounted for 57% of total revenue.

LG Display expects shipment area to increase by the mid-single-digit percentage range in the third quarter as the mobile OLED business enters its seasonal peak. Revenue per square meter is projected to rise by the high-teens percentage range. Capital expenditures this year are expected to increase modestly to the mid-to-high 2 trillion won range.

The company said it will continue improving profitability in the second half through higher production yields, product portfolio optimization and technology-based cost innovation.

AP Systems unveiled laser processing equipment designed for Gen 8.6 IT organic light-emitting diode (OLED) production, highlighting systems aimed at improving productivity and maintenance efficiency for large-area substrates.

The company said on July 22 that it is showcasing its Gen 8.6 Excimer Laser Annealing (ELA) system and Solid Laser Annealing (SLA) platform at K-Display 2026, which opened at COEX in Seoul.

ELA equipment uses laser technology to crystallize the semiconductor layer on display substrates. The Gen 8.6 ELA system on display has been designed to process large-area glass substrates and increase throughput, improving both panel production speed and manufacturing efficiency.

The SLA platform is a thermal processing system that utilizes solid-state lasers. AP Systems said the platform was developed to reduce maintenance requirements while improving equipment uptime. Gen 8.6 OLED production lines are primarily intended to manufacture larger display panels for tablets and notebook PCs rather than smartphones. AP Systems plans to expand shipments of related equipment as global panel makers accelerate investments in Gen 8.6 OLED production.

"We plan to support large-area IT OLED production for global panel manufacturers through our Gen 8.6 equipment," an AP Systems representative said.

LG Display President and Chief Executive Officer Jeong Cheol-dong said the company expects its performance to improve in the second half of the year, expressing confidence that its earnings recovery will continue after returning to profitability on a first-half basis despite a second-quarter loss.

Speaking to reporters at K-Display 2026 in Seoul on July 22, Jeong said, "Our second-quarter results did not meet market expectations due to one-time costs. However, we expect to achieve better results in the second half than we did in the first."

Earlier in the day, LG Display reported second-quarter revenue of 5.6121 trillion won and an operating loss of 107.7 billion won. Revenue rose 0.4% from 5.587 trillion won a year earlier, while the operating loss narrowed from 116.1 billion won in the second quarter of 2025.

Jeong said the company is focused less on short-term earnings and more on strengthening the long-term fundamentals needed to sustain its business. Employees across all business divisions are working toward the shared goals of enhancing technological competitiveness and delivering greater value to customers, he added.

LG Display is also preparing to expand its tandem OLED technology into smartphones. The company currently uses tandem OLED panels in TVs and IT products and is evaluating broader adoption in mobile devices. For Gen 8.6 OLED, Jeong said LG Display is reviewing multiple technology options and business feasibility but declined to provide specific investment plans or timelines, adding that further details will be disclosed once the technology and business plans are finalized.

The company is also developing next-generation OLED technologies. Asked about future innovations, Jeong said LG Display is preparing a range of OLED technologies, including one internally referred to as "Flip." He declined to elaborate, saying additional details will be announced when appropriate.

Jeong acknowledged that rising memory prices are increasing costs but said the impact remains manageable. He added that the company is addressing the pressure through ongoing cost-improvement initiatives.

LG Display will continue capital investment within the limits of its available financial resources, he said. Asked whether additional one-off costs related to workforce optimization could occur, Jeong said it was too early to provide a definitive answer.

"Everyone in the company is working together as one team, focusing our capabilities on technology and creating value for our customers," Jeong said. "We will continue delivering results that earn our customers' trust and recognition."

Samsung Display is preparing to resume investment in its Display City Campus 2 in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, reviving a 67 trillion won investment project that forms part of Samsung Group's 140 trillion won investment plan for the Chungcheong region.

Speaking to reporters after a VIP tour at K-Display 2026 at COEX in Seoul on July 22, Lee Chung, president and chief executive officer of Samsung Display, said preparations to restart the Campus 2 project are already underway.

"We are preparing now," Lee said. "It is something we committed to publicly, so we intend to move forward without delay."

Earlier this month, Samsung officially announced plans to invest 140 trillion won in the Chungcheong region. Under the initiative, Samsung Display will invest 67 trillion won in Asan to upgrade its existing manufacturing facilities and construct new organic light-emitting diode (OLED) production lines at Campus 2.

Campus 2 is a separate manufacturing site developed adjacent to Display City Campus 1, where Samsung Display's existing production lines are concentrated in Asan. The company began site development in 2017 but suspended construction in 2020, citing market uncertainty.

Lee also said market conditions for the display industry are expected to remain challenging in the second half of the year. Rising semiconductor prices have increased costs for smartphone and IT device manufacturers, reducing panel demand while intensifying pressure on component suppliers to lower prices.

"Demand for smartphone and IT OLED panels has declined significantly overall," Lee said. "As our customers face a difficult business environment, suppliers of components, including display panels, are also under substantial pricing pressure."

Lee expressed concern over continued investment and capacity expansion by Chinese display makers.

"Chinese companies continue to invest, and we expect their production capacity to keep increasing," he said. "That represents a major challenge for South Korea's display industry."

He added that the Korean display industry must continue leading with OLED technology while preparing next-generation technologies.

"We have maintained global leadership for more than 50 years, and we cannot afford to lose that position," Lee said.

Lee also expressed confidence in Samsung Display's technological leadership in foldable OLED panels.

"Excluding Chinese customers and Chinese panel makers, Samsung Display holds an overwhelming share of the foldable display market," he said. "We believe we remain well ahead in terms of quality, durability and overall display performance."

Samsung Display and LG Display were the only profitable suppliers in the mobile organic light-emitting diode (OLED) market during the first quarter of 2026, while their Chinese competitors remained heavily loss-making despite rapidly expanding shipments, according to market research firm Omdia.

Speaking at the Display Business Forum 2026 in Seoul on July 21, David Hsieh, senior research director at Omdia, said few companies are generating profits in the mobile OLED business as the industry faces rising investment requirements for next-generation manufacturing technologies.

"There are not many companies that are actually making money in mobile OLED," Hsieh said. "The industry will continue to require substantial investment in equipment, materials and manufacturing processes."

According to Omdia's estimates, Samsung Display posted a 10% operating margin in its mobile OLED business during the first quarter, while LG Display recorded an operating margin of 6%. They were the only profitable companies among the seven panel makers included in the analysis.

All five Chinese manufacturers remained in the red.

TCL CSOT posted an estimated operating margin of -7%, followed by BOE at -8%, Tianma at -15%, Visionox at -33%, and Everdisplay Optronics (EDO) at -43%. The average operating margin across the five Chinese suppliers was -21.2%, while the gap between Samsung Display and Everdisplay Optronics reached 53 percentage points.

In terms of shipments, South Korean and Chinese manufacturers each accounted for roughly half of the global market for small- and medium-sized OLED panels used in smartphones and other mobile devices.

The figures suggest that although Chinese manufacturers have largely caught up with their South Korean rivals in production volume, they continue to trail significantly in profitability.

Chinese panel makers are investing aggressively in advanced OLED technologies for foldable smartphones and other premium mobile devices while simultaneously expanding manufacturing capacity. Omdia said the combination of new capital expenditures and depreciation costs from recently built production lines has prevented higher shipment volumes from translating into stronger earnings.

The slowdown in the smartphone OLED market is adding further pressure.

Although OLED penetration in smartphone displays has already exceeded 50%, Omdia believes the market has begun to peak this year and is entering a period of gradual decline.

"Rising memory prices have contributed to slower market growth, but the bigger challenge is that consumers are replacing their smartphones less frequently," Hsieh said. "In the AI era, consumers may choose to upgrade software, applications or platforms instead of replacing their devices."

Toray Advanced Materials Korea has jointly developed a high-performance polyethylene terephthalate (PET) interior film with Hansol Homedeco, expanding the use of PET materials in interior finishing applications.

The company announced on July 21 that it completed the development of the high-flexibility PET interior film after nearly two years of joint research with Hansol Homedeco.

PET films are widely used as decorative surface finishes for furniture doors because of their processability and appearance. However, the material's relatively high stiffness has limited its application on curved surfaces and sharp corners, where conventional films tend to lift or peel away.

Toray Advanced Materials Korea said it overcame those limitations by combining its film processing and manufacturing technologies with elastic materials, producing a PET film with approximately twice the flexibility of conventional polyvinyl chloride (PVC) films.

The enhanced flexibility allows the film to adhere more reliably to curved surfaces and edges while maintaining a high-quality finish.

The newly developed material will be incorporated into Hansol Story Film, Hansol Homedeco's interior film product lineup.

"We will continue developing high-performance interior materials while expanding our product portfolio, including flame-retardant PET films," a Toray Advanced Materials Korea official said.

LG Display is extending its tandem OLED technology from TVs, automotive displays and IT products to smartphones, aiming to reduce power consumption as on-device artificial intelligence increases energy demands.

Speaking at the Display Business Forum 2026 in Seoul on July 21, Choi Young-seok, chief technology officer of LG Display, unveiled the company's Advanced Tandem OLED for smartphones.

Tandem OLED stacks multiple organic light-emitting layers to generate light, allowing the display to achieve the same brightness as a conventional single-stack OLED while using less current. The architecture reduces power consumption, extends smartphone battery life and improves panel longevity.

According to LG Display, tandem OLED panels offer more than twice the lifespan of conventional single-stack OLEDs while reducing power consumption by more than 30%. Depending on display usage, power savings can reach up to 60%.

In smartphone testing, display power consumption fell 39%, from 533 milliwatts (mW) to 315 mW. The test was conducted using a 6.7-inch-class display and a screen brightness of 100 nits. Under the same conditions, battery runtime increased from 2.6 hours to 3.9 hours.

LG Display said it developed the smartphone tandem OLED in response to rising power requirements driven by AI features. Running AI workloads directly on smartphones places heavier demands on application processors (APs), neural processing units (NPUs) and memory.

Because smartphone battery capacity is constrained by device size, reducing display power consumption allows more energy to be allocated to AI processing without sacrificing battery life.

LG Display first introduced tandem OLED technology in large OLED TVs in 2013. It later expanded the technology to automotive displays in 2019, followed by notebooks and tablets in 2024.

Its TV panels use multiple organic layers to generate white light, which passes through color filters to produce images. For automotive and IT applications, the company employs an RGB tandem OLED architecture that stacks red, green and blue emissive layers.

The smartphone panel marks LG Display's first application of tandem OLED technology in mobile devices. Commercialization would give the company a tandem OLED portfolio spanning TVs, automotive displays, notebooks, tablets and smartphones.

Competition in smartphone tandem OLED technology is also intensifying. At SID Display Week 2026 in the US in May, Chinese display makers BOE and TCL CSOT both showcased tandem OLED panels.

BOE unveiled a 6.5-inch tandem OLED for smartphones, while TCL CSOT introduced a foldable 18-inch tandem OLED display.

"We will expand tandem OLED technology across our entire product portfolio, from large-sized to small- and medium-sized displays, to meet growing demand for low-power displays in the AI era," Choi said.

The Korea Display Industry Association (KDIA) announced on July 20 that it will hold the K-Display 2026 Career Fair from July 22 to 24 at Hall C of COEX in Seoul.

The event will bring together 23 display companies, including Samsung Display and LG Display, and provide recruitment consultations, job counseling and career support programs for approximately 900 students and young job seekers.

This year's event expands beyond its traditional recruitment focus by offering both employment and graduate school guidance. A newly established graduate school pavilion will feature 23 research laboratories from nine universities, providing undergraduate students with information on graduate study opportunities. Seven companies will participate in the event for the first time.

The recruitment pavilion will offer pre-arranged meetings between participating companies and job seekers for hiring and career consultations. A career development area will provide résumé reviews, job counseling, AI-powered mock interviews, mentoring sessions with industry professionals and professional headshot photography. A career talk concert featuring employees from five companies, including Samsung Display and LG Display, will also be held.

Participants will also be able to join guided tours of the K-Display exhibition and experience display manufacturing processes through extended reality (XR) demonstrations.

Following the event, participating companies will continue to post job openings and accept applications through an online recruitment platform that will remain available through December.

Lee Seung-woo, vice chairman of the Korea Display Industry Association, said he hopes the event will help companies recruit talented employees while providing students with opportunities to pursue both employment and graduate education.

Manufacturing artificial intelligence (AI) company Mithril will unveil AI solutions designed for the control systems of semiconductor and display manufacturing equipment at K-Display 2026.

The company announced on July 20 that it will exhibit Optima-Alpha, an embedded AI solution for manufacturing equipment, and Guardian-Alpha, an industrial safety platform, during the exhibition.

Optima-Alpha analyzes data generated by semiconductor and display manufacturing equipment to support equipment control, production efficiency and quality management. Mithril said it has completed a proof of concept (PoC) for semiconductor applications and is negotiating contracts to deploy the AI solution in commercial production equipment. The company is also conducting additional PoCs with a global factory automation (FA) supplier.

Recognizing that data structures and hardware control architectures differ across equipment platforms, Mithril said it establishes dedicated teams for each customer and provides customized system integration (SI) services. The company plans to develop AI functions tailored to individual equipment control environments while expanding into long-term maintenance and support services.

Guardian-Alpha analyzes data from factory CCTV systems and sensors to detect safety risks in industrial workplaces. The platform identifies hazards including workers not wearing protective equipment such as helmets, safety shoes and safety harnesses, as well as falls, collapses, potential forklift collisions, unauthorized entry into restricted areas, and incidents involving fire, smoke or gas leaks.

When hazardous situations are detected, the system can activate speakers, warning lights and equipment control systems while simultaneously sending alerts to management dashboards. It also records detection and response histories before and after incidents.

Both products are powered by Nenya sVLA, an AI model currently under development by Mithril. The platform combines a common AI core with lightweight industry-specific adapters that add specialized capabilities for different industrial applications. Mithril plans to launch the platform in 2027.

The company also plans to demonstrate the AI solutions at its exhibition booth using simulated semiconductor and display manufacturing environments.