MicroLED Displays to Reach ‘Mass-Market’ Acceptance by 2026, Says IHS Markit

“Dramatic cost reductions” likely will “transform” microLED displays into a “mass-market product” by around the middle of the next decade, reported IHS Markit Tuesday. Though fewer than 1,000 microLED display units are expected to ship globally this year or next, IHS sees the business reaching 15.5 million units worldwide in 2026 “as steep declines in manufacturing costs make the emerging technology suitable” for mainstream consumers. The researcher sees the technology “gradually” gaining “acceptance” in smartwatches, TVs, augmented-reality systems and smartphones. The manufacturing cost of a 1.5-inch microLED display for use in smartwatches is expected to fall to a tenth of its current cost by 2026. The production cost of a 75-inch microLED display for TVs will drop to a fifth of its current expense within seven years, it said: “Despite the growth in acceptance, microLED shipments in 2026 will still amount to just 0.4 percent of the global flat-panel display market. However, with shipments of nearly 16 million units that year, microLED will have entered mass-market territory, setting the stage for much wider acceptance during the following years.”