Rising Ultra-Thin Glass Shipments Defy Weak Smartphone Market

Creating a foldable cover lens requires a combination of transparency, foldability, hardness, smoothness, and thinness. Achieving the perfect balance, especially between hardness and thickness remains a significant challenge in the industry. Two commonly used materials are Colorless Polyimide (CPI) and Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG), but each has its drawbacks.

Despite these imperfections, most smartphone manufacturers prefer UTG due to its superior smoothness. While Huawei and Honor continue to use CPI, brands like Samsung, Google, Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, Moto, and Transsion have adopted use UTG. However, Huawei and Honor are also developing UTG solutions, and may integrate into their next-generation clamshell-type foldable smartphones.

Omdia forecasts UTG shipments will grow reaching 24.6 million units in 2024, up 36.9% year-on-year (YoY), and 33.7 million units in 2025, up 36.7% YoY. This growth is expected to continue over the next few years.

UTG technology is diversifying. There are three primary UTG solutions.

1. Samsung Display (SDC) approach: SCHOTT supplies the raw glass, which is then finished by Dowooinsys, (controlled by SDC and is responsible for the cover glass finishing). SDC then laminates the UTG with a foldable display.

2. SEC approach: Corning provides the UTG, known as Corning Bendable Glass (CBG)  finished eCONY for the cover glass. SDC is still responsible for the lamination. This solution was adopted for the Galaxy Z Flip3, Flip4, and Flip5.

3. Thinning method: This involves thinning thicker glass from 100µm to 30µm (or 40–50µm), based on the customer’s requirements. The method which allows for a flexible supply chain, has been used in devices like the Moto Razr 2022, Moto Razr 40 series, vivo X Flip, OPPO Find N3 series, and Transsion Tecno Phantom V series. Despite its complex finishing process, Chinese glass makers are pushing forward with 30µm ultra-thin raw glass expected to enter mass production by the end of 2024.

To read more insights and analysis covering market trends and industry forecasts prepared by Omdia’s Display practice, click here.