Counterpoint Research: Global flat panel display shipments are expected to drop 4.7% year-on-year in 2026

Zhitong Finance App learned that according to Counterpoint Research's flat panel monitor tracking and forecast data, global flat panel display (FPD) shipments are expected to drop 4.7% year on year in 2026. The sharp rise in storage prices, driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence data centers, is being passed on to terminal equipment prices, curbing demand in key application areas of FPD, particularly smartphones and tablets.

Bob O'Brien, research director at Counterpoint Research, said, “The high price of memory chips is leading to a rise in the price of a range of electronic products, which in turn causes demand to drop. Especially in the low- and middle-end segments of the smartphone and PC market, brands are unable to achieve aggressive pricing as in the past few years, and consumers choose to delay purchases or switch to the second-hand market.” Mobile phone flat panel display shipments are expected to drop 9.5% year over year in 2026.

In the IT sector, strong shipments in the first half of the year mean the decline will be small in 2026, but the downward trend will continue into 2027. Flat panel display shipments in 2026 are expected to drop 1.7% year on year, up from -3.0% year on year forecast in the previous report; while 2026 notebook flat panel display shipments are expected to drop 2.7% year on year, up from -8.8% year on year forecast in the previous report. However, rising prices of finished products have increased the possibility of panel procurement adjustments in 2027, and monitor and notebook panel shipments are expected to decline year over year next year.

Year-on-year change in flat panel display shipments

Source: Counterpoint Research

In order to meet the challenges and difficulties of the middle and lower end markets, the brand has strengthened its high-end product line by equipping it with OLED displays. OLED display panel shipments are expected to increase 60% year over year in 2026, while OLED laptop panel shipments are expected to increase 50% year over year.

Since televisions are less dependent on memory chips, TV panel shipments are less affected by storage shortages. Mini LED flat panel display shipments are expected to grow by more than 10% year over year in both 2026 and 2027.

The field of in-vehicle displays is still one of the highlights of the flat panel display industry. Driven by automotive design trends, the number of screens in each car is constantly increasing. Among the six major flat panel display application areas, automotive displays are the only segment expected to achieve year-over-year growth in 2026, and this growth trend is expected to continue into 2027. In addition to the increase in shipments, the average size of in-vehicle displays continues to expand, further driving revenue growth.