June 3 - According to the latest Q2 2026 AMOLED Emissive Material Market Tracker released by UBI Research on June 2, global OLED panel manufacturers are expected to purchase significantly fewer emissive materials in 2026 than previously forecast.
The research firm has revised its 2026 OLED emissive material procurement forecast downward from US$2.91 billion in its first-quarter outlook to US$2.54 billion, representing a reduction of US$370 million, or 12.8%.
UBI Research attributed the revision primarily to weaker smartphone sales caused by rising memory prices. The increase in memory costs has affected the overall bill of materials (BOM) for mobile devices, leading manufacturers to adopt more cautious production and sales strategies. As a result, OLED panel shipments are expected to decline, reducing demand for key OLED manufacturing materials.
OLED emissive materials are among the most important consumables in OLED panel production, directly impacting panel output and factory utilization rates. Therefore, when OLED panel shipments decline, panel makers typically reduce their purchases of emissive materials accordingly.
The report also forecasts a broad decline in emissive material procurement across all major OLED panel manufacturers. However, Chinese panel makers are expected to experience a steeper reduction compared with their Korean counterparts, largely because they are more heavily exposed to the smartphone OLED market, where shipment volumes have weakened significantly.
In contrast, Korean display manufacturers primarily focus on high-value OLED products, including premium smartphones, IT OLED displays, and OLED televisions. As a result, the impact of production cuts driven by rising semiconductor costs is expected to be relatively limited. Procurement of OLED emissive materials by Korean manufacturers is therefore expected to remain comparatively stable.
A senior executive at UBI Research commented that rising memory prices have become a critical variable affecting both product cost structures and market demand across the electronics industry.
"The increase in memory prices is a key factor influencing device manufacturers' cost management and sales strategies," the executive said. "In 2026, the OLED emissive material market will show divergent trends among panel manufacturers, depending on the composition of their OLED panel portfolios and end-product strategies."
The report highlights how shifts in upstream semiconductor pricing can ripple through the display supply chain, affecting OLED panel production plans, material procurement strategies, and overall market growth prospects throughout 2026.
