LG Display announced on July 22 that the company plans to earmark approximately 618 billion Won (US$513.5 million; US$1 = 1,203.4 Won) for the expansion of its 4.5G small-and medium-sized mobile LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel production line during the next 15 months, in a bid to tap the rising demand for smaller mobile panels used in mobile devices such as Smartphones and tablet PCs, Dow Jones reported on July 22. LG Display is a major supplier of displays to Apple's iPad and iPhone and other consumer electronics companies. The new line is projected to be installed in the third quarter of 2010, slated to kick off mass production in the fourth quarter of 2011, with an expected monthly capacity of 20,000 sheets, according to the same source. The new line is expected to help LG Display boost the total production capacity to 40,000 sheets per month in 2011.

 

On July 23, LG Display admitted that the company is unable to supply all of mobile panel orders placed by Apple for its iPad tablet PC, according to another report by Dow Jones.