In a move that could have a major impact on LG Electronics’ OLED manufacturing contracts, Chinese display giant BOE has brought its new 8.6-generation OLED plant online, and brands are already queuing up to do business with the Company.

Initially, BOE will roll out panels for notebooks, tablets and smartphones, with Acer, Asus and Lenovo all placing orders for 14 inch display panels.

The cutting edge facility will produce high end OLED panels featuring a tandem structure, LTPO backplane technology and variable refresh rates ranging from 1Hz to 240Hz.

The 8.6G production line can produce larger and more cost effective OLED panels than BOE’s existing 6-generation plants, allowing the Company to replace LCD panels in consumer products, a market that both LG Display and Samsung Display have been targeting as a growth engine for their own OLED manufacturing operations.

ChannelNews understands that Apple is taking a fresh look at what BOE can deliver, especially as the Cupertino Company looks to cut the component cost of OLED panels across all of its products that need a display.

Two Year Build, Mass Production Underway

The new production lines have been brought online a little over two years after construction began, with the plant officially starting mass production on June 17.

BOE’s B16 plant will produce 10 million OLED panels this year, and significantly more next year, according to analysts.

“We will meet the growing demand for premium displays from customers in China and overseas and become a trusted partner through advanced technologies and high quality products,” said Chen Yanshun, chairman of BOE.

More than 10 customers attended the opening ceremony, confirming that they will buy and use the OLED panels produced there, including Lenovo, Asus, MSI, Oppo, Vivo, Honor, ZTE, Transsion, Xiaomi and Nothing.

The 8.6-generation plant cost 63 billion yuan (approximately A$13.4 billion) to build, making it the largest single industrial project in southwestern China.

China Closing In On Korean Display Makers

The plant comes online five months after Samsung Display started mass production at a similar 8.6G OLED facility in Asan, South Korea, which will produce OLED panels for Apple, Samsung Electronics and others.

TCL CSOT broke ground on its own 8.6G OLED plant in Guangzhou, China, in October 2025. It is scheduled to begin mass production next year and is set to become the first plant in the world to use inkjet printing for OLED panels.

Additionally, Visionox is currently building a third 8.6G OLED plant in China, with production expected to start in 2027 or 2028.

The three plants will position China as a serious OLED competitor to South Korea’s Samsung Display and LG Display.

All of the new plants are initially targeting small and medium sized OLED panels, with no timelines announced for TV panels.