The commercial adoption of Micro LED display technology is facing another major setback. Just one year after making waves with the world's first commercial Micro LED smartwatch, Garmin has dropped the technology from its latest lineup. The newly announced Fenix 9 series, unveiled in August 2026, uses AMOLED and memory-in-pixel (MiP) solar display options instead, highlighting the persistent technical and economic hurdles facing Micro LED deployment.
The global automotive display market is entering a new phase of growth, with demand shifting away from central consoles and instrument clusters toward niche applications such as head-up displays (HUDs) and front-passenger entertainment panels. DIGITIMES Intelligence analyst Jason Yang said the global automotive display shipment compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is expected to reach only about 2.4% from 2026 to 2031, but HUDs and entertainment panels will grow 14.4% and 17.9%, respectively.
Samsung Display is evaluating a new manufacturing process known as halftone black pixel definition layer (PDL) that could streamline the production of its OLED panels, industry sources disclosed to The ELEC on September 22. By integrating two separate manufacturing steps into a single photolithography process, the display maker aims to reduce costs and boost efficiency for upcoming flagship devices.
South Korean display makers, long dominant in the global smartphone OLED market, remain hesitant to commit to mass production of OLED-on-silicon (OLEDoS) displays, an essential component for personal AI platforms such as smart glasses and extended reality (XR) headsets. As Chinese and Japanese rivals aggressively expand capacity and secure customer wins, industry observers warn that South Korea risks losing its foothold in next-generation displays in the AI era.
The industry has converged on a single precondition for consumer adoption of augmented reality (AR) glasses: the product must look like ordinary eyewear. The China International Optoelectronic Exposition (CIOE) 2026 showed how differently the two critical component groups — microdisplays and waveguides — are responding to that constraint. Microdisplay makers are trading away a modest amount of resolution for smaller Micro LED panel areas, pushing light engines below 0.1cc, and pairing those engines with geometric, surface-relief, and volume-holographic waveguides from multiple suppliers to demonstrate complete near-eye modules and, in some cases, complete glasses. Taken together, the show indicates that AR display technology has reached a workable level of maturity.
Samsung Electronics will reportedly slash quantum-dot (QD) LCD TV production in 2026 to 2 million to 3 million units, down as much as 80% year-over-year, while it also plans to gradually scale back Neo QLED output and potentially stop production as early as 2028. The move shifts the company's LCD TV focus toward Mini LED models without QD.
Suppliers in China's AR glasses supply chain see the approximately 2 billion people worldwide with myopia as a potential market and said shipments are set to double year after year, even as the industry continues to sift winners from losers. At this year's China International Optoelectronic Exposition (CIOE), smart glasses remained a standout theme alongside optical communications.
Samsung Display is deepening its technology partnership with Vivo's iQOO brand, with the two companies jointly developing display technology and establishing a dedicated production line for the upcoming iQOO 16 as Chinese smartphone makers step up investment in premium hardware.
Shenzhen Huachuang Xinguang says MicroLED optical interconnect technology is feasible and expects to target data center applications within 3–5 years.
