Chinese panel maker BOE Technology Group Co. emerged as the world’s No. 1 player in the smaller LCD market in the first quarter on the back of strong demand for cheaper panels, data showed Wednesday.

China’s biggest panel maker shipped 56.35 million liquid crystal display panels that are 9.1 inches or smaller in the January-March period, according to the data compiled by research firm DisplaySearch.

The first-quarter figure is up 98 percent from a year earlier, the data showed.

It marks the first time a Chinese panel maker has claimed the top spot in the world’s smaller LCD market.

Taiwanese players Chimei Innolux Corp. came in second with shipment of 55.25 million units, followed by Sharp Corp. with 43.15 million units, LG Display Co. with 37.18 million units and Japan Display with 34.77 million, they showed.

BOE Technology’s rise is attributable to strong demand for cheaper panels on its home turf.

In terms of revenue, however, Sharp ranked first with sales of $1.4 billion, followed by LG Display with $1.36 billion, Japan Display with $1.08 billion and Chimei Innolux with $890 million, according to the data.

The smaller LCD panels are usually used for smartphones and tablet computers. (Yonhap News)