The Memory Shortage Has Created a Butterfly Effect in the Smartphone Market, as Reduced Demand Has Cut Down OLED Shipments by 12% in Q1

Smartphone OLED shipments fell 12% year over year in Q1 2026 to 190 million units, or 20% from Q4 2025.

UBI Research said the DRAM shortage weakened smartphone demand and pushed manufacturers to cut component orders.

Samsung remained the top OLED supplier with 44% share, followed by BOE at 16% and LG at 9%.

Expected iPhone orders and possible Samsung-BOE sourcing could support future OLED demand and reshape competition.