Global FPD Revenues Grow 2% in 2025 as Smartphone Display Market Weakens
- Global flat panel display (FPD) revenues grew 2% in 2025 as a decline in mobile phone revenues was countered by automotive and IT displays.
- Mobile phone flat panels, the bulk of which comprise smartphones, saw declines during the first three quarters, which were offset by a stronger fourth quarter.
- The IT equipment segment performed well, with tablets growing by double-digit percentage and monitors and notebook PCs turning in healthy single-digit growth.
- Automotive displays were also a key standout, reflecting structural shifts happening in the sector, resulting in bigger and more screens per vehicle.
- We remain guarded for 2026 as second-order effects from high memory prices are likely to result in steep drops across downstream segments, particularly those exposed to lower-end consumer demand swings.
Seoul, Beijing, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Fort Collins, Hong Kong, London, New Delhi, Taipei, Tokyo – March 12, 2026
Global flat panel display (FPD) revenues grew 2% in 2025, with declines in mobile phone revenues offset by strong growth in IT and automotive displays, according to Counterpoint Research’s latest FPD Tracker and Forecast report.
“Smartphone shipments actually grew 2% in 2025, but FPD orders saw weakness, especially during the second quarter, partly due to tariff concerns, tempering overall annual growth,” said Research Director Bob O’Brien.
Flat Panel Display Revenues & Annual Growth by Key Application, 2025
Source: Counterpoint Research FPD Tracker and Forecast
The mobile phone segment, which consists primarily of smartphone main displays, continued to account for the biggest share of FPD revenues. The smallest but fastest growing segment was the smartphone sub-segment of secondary displays, which are becoming more popular as premium smartphone makers continue to explore new display features like flex, quick view or cover screens in foldable form factors.
Within the IT segment, tablet FPDs enjoyed exceptional growth on the back of unit demand, which spiked 16% due to strong tablet shipments driven by vendors like Apple, Lenovo and Huawei. Monitors and notebook PCs also performed well, with the latter gaining meaningful momentum from the sunset of Windows 10 and the broader refresh cycle.
Automotive was also a bright spot, with structural market changes delivering more displays per vehicle, as well as larger displays, translating to double-digit revenue growth for the segment. “Although auto sales are mature, changes happening inside the car are growing the market for automotive FPDs,” said Senior Analyst Tom Someya. “The era of EVs and software-defined vehicles, driven by innovative Chinese automakers, is delivering on cabins with center stack infotainment, instrument clusters, passenger diplays and even rear-seat entertainment.” 10”-13” displays are the standard, accounting for almost half of all unit demand across size categories.
Looking ahead, there are continued risks to growth, especially in the mobile phone segment, and the memory shortage impact is likely to spread to other IT segments like notebook PCs and tablets. “I think the short-term impact will be tough to mitigate for many panel suppliers, but those like Samsung Display, which is dominant in premium smartphone OLEDs, are best positioned to weather the memory shortage as the initial impact on smartphone shipments will be on the lower end of the market,” said Someya. “The likes of LG Display, Tianma and AUO are also positioned neutrally, with less presence in mobile for LG, and increasing automotive and industrial products for the latter two.”
Counterpoint Research’s FPD Tracker and Forecast Report covers flat panel demand across all applications, including automotive, mobile phones, monitors, notebooks, tablets, TVs, AR/VR and more. It also covers display technologies like OLED and MiniLED and their adoption trends.
About Counterpoint Research
Counterpoint Research is a global market research firm specializing in products across the technology ecosystem. We advise a diverse range of clients – from smartphone OEMs to chipmakers and channel players to Big Tech – through our offices located in the world's major innovation hubs, manufacturing clusters and commercial centers. Our analyst team, led by seasoned experts, engages with stakeholders across the enterprise – from the C-suite to professionals in strategy, analyst relations (AR), market intelligence (MI), business intelligence (BI), product and marketing – to deliver services spanning market data, industry thought leadership and consulting. Our core areas of coverage include AI, Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Displays, eSIM, IoT, Location Platforms, Macroeconomics, Manufacturing, Networks and Infrastructure, Semiconductors, Smartphones and Wearables. Visit our Insights page to explore our publicly available market data, insights and thought leadership, and to understand our focus, meet our analysts and start a conversation.
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Author
Bob Obrien
Robert J (Bob) O’Brien joined Counterpoint Research as part of its acquisition of DSCC, where he was Co-Founder, Principal and CFO of DSCC. Bob has decades of experience turning market and business analysis into strategic insights in the display and electronics industries. At DSCC, Bob takes the lead role in analysis of display materials, including glass and AMOLED materials, and covers developments in TV and other large-screen display applications. He is the principal author of DSCC’s AMOLED Material Report, the Advanced TV Shipment Report, and the Display Glass Report, and Bob contributes regularly to the DSCC Weekly Review.
Tom Someya
Tomonori (Tom) Someya joined Counterpoint Research as part of its acquisition of DSCC. After studying marketing at Eastern Oregon University, he joined Techno Systems Research (TSR) in 2004. He was responsible for FPD and FPD materials, especially polarizing films. He published many market reports. He joined DSCC in May 2021 after working as a marketing research and strategic planning manager for one of the world's largest polarizing film suppliers since 2011. He brings more than 20 years of experience in the Flat Panel Display industry to his analysis of OLED Shipment Report and FPD Forecast Report.