With LG Display having succeeded in turning a profit for the full year last year, some expect it to remain in the black in the first half of this year as well. As China's BOE supplies fewer organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels for Apple's iPhone 17 series, LG Display has benefited. Although there are concerns about softer end-market demand due to the fallout from this year's "memory turmoil" and a contraction in the TV market, the company's strategy is to keep strengthening profitability by shifting its business structure to OLED.
According to FnGuide, a financial information firm, on the 25th, LG Display is expected to post operating profit of 142.3 billion won in the first quarter of this year, followed by 130.4 billion won in the second quarter. Despite operating profit of 33.5 billion won in the first quarter of last year, it recorded an operating loss of 116.0 billion won in the second quarter, ending the first half of last year in the red.
An expanded OLED share within Apple's supply chain is cited as the main driver of LG Display's improved profitability. As Apple adopted "low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO)" panels for all models of the iPhone 17 series released last year, China's BOE saw a sharp reduction in supply volume. LTPO is a low-power display technology that can cut power consumption by 10% to 40%, and only Samsung Display and LG Display are known to implement the technology reliably.
A display industry official said, "As the manufacturing difficulty of OLEDs used in Apple's iPhones increases, it is becoming harder for Chinese competitors to enter. With the iPhone 18 series also expected to require higher-performance OLEDs, LG Display's share will solidify," adding, "Apple has secured ample memory inventory, which makes it relatively free from pressure stemming from the memory turmoil, another positive factor."
Even as the market contracts with a drop in global TV shipments, some say LG Display's profitability will strengthen as the OLED conversion rate rises. Kim Jong-bae, an analyst at Hyundai Motor Securities, said, "While the recovery in the global TV market is being delayed, it is worth noting that demand for OLED panels is growing rapidly," adding, "The OLED monitor market is expected to expand 60% this year from a year earlier, offsetting weakness in the TV market."
There is also speculation that LG Display will ramp up entry into the physical AI market with OLED at the forefront. In January, at the world's largest IT trade show, "CES 2026," held in Las Vegas, the company unveiled OLEDs for Humanoid Robot use for the first time. At the time, President Jeong Chul-dong told reporters, "The display specifications required by robots are similar to those for vehicles," adding, "We will proactively respond to demand in the Robotics market with our already secured, highly reliable plastic OLED (P-OLED) technology."
Park Kang-ho, an analyst at Daishin Securities, said, "Early Humanoid Robot models are expected to communicate with users through OLED displays rather than voice," adding, "Beyond power efficiency, OLEDs that require high durability and reliability—like automotive displays—are crucial, and LG Display, which has secured reliability in in-vehicle OLED displays, is likely to partner with Tesla and Boston Dynamics."