CONNECT WITH US
Feb 4, 11:29
Defending the crown: Samsung and LG leverage AI and Micro RGB to counter Chinese rivals in appliances and displays
As Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics prepare for 2026, both South Korean technology leaders are sharpening their competitive edge by embedding artificial intelligence (AI) across displays and home appliances. Beyond hardware upgrades, their strategies increasingly rely on subscription and leasing models, platform ecosystems, and an expanded Micro RGB TV lineup, signaling a shift toward service-oriented growth and deeper customer engagement.
Demand for smart glasses is climbing. Alongside established players such as Meta, Rokid, RayNeo, and Xreal, heavyweight brands including Samsung Electronics and Apple are preparing to enter the market, raising the stakes across the supply chain. In Taiwan's optical industry, several suppliers have emerged as focal points.

LG Electronics is formalizing a shift in its television manufacturing strategy, extending outsourcing beyond China to Vietnam as part of a structural overhaul. The move comes as the company seeks to address intensifying global competition and weakening profitability in the TV market.

LG Display, fresh off its first profitable year in four years, is preparing to step up investment in 2026 as it seeks to strengthen its position in the increasingly competitive OLED market. Despite that, the company is proceeding cautiously on one of the industry's most closely watched questions: whether and when to commit to large-scale production of next-generation OLED panels for IT devices.

Asia Optical's subsidiary AsiaTech Imaging forecasts a 20-30% sequential revenue increase in the first quarter of 2026, signaling a recovery from a difficult 2025, President Iris Wu said during an online earnings call on January 28. Full-year revenue is expected to surpass 2025 levels.
China's optical industry is confronting significant challenges as several lens module manufacturers reportedly plan layoffs early in 2026, prompted by sluggish smartphone sales and intense price competition. Industry sources indicate that the sector's difficulties are unlikely to abate in the coming year due to persistent market and macroeconomic pressures.
China's LCD panel industry leads globally across major applications, pushing many Japanese and South Korean suppliers out of the market. In automotive displays, Chinese manufacturers still dominate shipment volumes, but Taiwan's two largest panel makers hold the top two positions by revenue through integrated solution strategies. Automotive display revenue for both is projected to continue rising through 2026, with a combined target of NT$100 billion (US$3.2 billion).
Giantplus Technology, which focuses on small- and medium-sized panels, recently faced a management rights dispute. The largest shareholder, Japan's Toppan Holdings, had originally agreed with JuYi Investment to transfer 53.1% of Giantplus Technology's shares in two phases. However, the second phase of the transaction has stalled, and reports indicate that Toppan does not rule out resolving the matter through legal channels.
After more than two years of patent litigation and a two-week trial, Taiwanese display technology giant AUO secured a significant victory in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division. A jury ruled that AUO did not infringe any of the patents claimed by Texas-based Phenix Longhorn and declared one of the asserted patents invalid.
LG Display (LGD) announced that it returned to profitability in 2025, marking its first annual profit in four years since 2021. The turnaround was driven by its exit from the large-size LCD business and a shift toward an OLED-centered business structure, with OLED products accounting for 61% of total revenue in 2025, a record high. According to ET News and Seoul Economic Daily, LGD reported 2025 full-year revenue of approximately KRW25.81 trillion (US$18.1 billion) and operating profit of KRW517 billion. In the fourth quarter of 2025, LGD recorded revenue of around KRW7.2 trillion, down 8% year-over-year, while operating profit surged 103% to KRW168.5 billion.
Ennostar Group has rapidly advanced its optical communication technologies since 2021, targeting next-generation AI data transmission markets. In an interview with DIGITIMES, Chang-Da Tsai, deputy director of the Advanced Research Center at Ennostar, said the company has achieved significant milestones in short-, medium-, and long-distance solutions, positioning itself to surpass established industry standards and capture emerging opportunities driven by AI server demand.

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics unveiled new RGB Mini-LED televisions at the CES 2026 trade show, signaling a strategic bet on refined LCD backlighting to shore up their TV strategies.