The OLED-Info newsletter, May 2019
Published: Wed, 05/01/19
Foldable OLED updates
April started on the right foot for Samsung, as the company announced on April 10th that it has started to produce the inside-folding 7.3" 1536x2152 Infinity Flex AMOLED displays that will be used in the Samsung Galaxy Fold.
Samsung reassured consumers that the Galaxy Fold will last over 200,000 folding cycles, and on April 14th the company started to accept pre-orders for its first foldable device. Early first day reviews were very positive and Samsung said that there was overwhelming demand for the $2,000 smartphone.
The optimism lasted for only one day, though. At least 4 early Galaxy Fold reviewers reported that only after one day of use, the screens on their devices broke. Samsung decided to delay the phone's launch as the company is looking into these issues. We hear of several possible reasons for the broken displays, and hopefully Samsung will be able to address and fix these issues quickly.
China-based Nubia also started to accept pre-orders for the Alpha foldable bracelet which has started shipping in China starting at 3499 Yuan (around $520). The Nubia Alpha uses a 4-inch 192x960 foldable AMOLED display wrapped around the smartwatch bands. The producer of this OLED display is China-based Visionox. In April Visionox also demonstrated some new foldable OLED prototypes in a trade show in China. In Japan, Sharp presented an impressive 6.18" 1440x3040 foldable AMOLED prototype that can withstand over 300,000 bending cycles. The demonstration panel folds inwardly, but Sharp apparently says it can also bend outwardly.
If you are looking to learn more about the foldable OLED, consult our recently updated Flexible and Foldable OLED Market Report.
OLED lighting market updates
April was an action-packed month for the OLED Lighting market as well. It started off with very disturbing news (reported first on OLED-Info) that LG Display has decided to pull out of the OLED lighting market. Reports from Korea suggest that LGD will continue to develop and supply OLED lighting panels - but only for the automotive market. You can read more about LGD's OLED lighting business and our take on this here.
In April we heard some very good news from Taiwan, though. First up is Luminescence Technology (Lumtec) who announced that it has started to mass produce OLED lighting panels, targeting mainly the automotive OLED lighting market. Lumtec tells us that its current production capacity is around 150,000 50x35 mm panels per month - although it will produce several sizes of panels.
Taiwan-based PMOLED producer RiTdisplay has also reportedly started to produce OLED lighting panels - in fact according to Digitimes the company is producing flexible panels targeting the automotive, medical and consumer (home) applications. The company's affiliate Luminit has already started low-volume shipments in Q1 2019.
China's First-o-lite has collaborated with NTHU to produce candlelight blue-light-free OLED panels and we have posted our own hands-on review of First-o-lite's first desk lamp that adopts these healthy OLEDs.
OLED Market updates
Here are the latest OLED market updates:
- DSCC: AMOLED revenues to reach over $52 billion in 2023
- UBI Research sees OLED material sales reaching $1.17 billion in 2019
- IHS: smartwatch display shipped soared to 150 million in 2018
- BK: LGE is leading the OLED TV market, followed by Sony and Panasonic
- Australia: Hisense's OLED TV sales are low, Philips cancels launch plans
- OLED-Info updates all its OLED market reports
Will LG quit the flexible OLED smartphone market?
LG Display currently produces flexible OLEDs (branded as pOLEDs), for both wearable devices and smartphones, is the exclusive supplier of AMOLED displays for Apple's Watch smartwatch (although this could change soon) and it also supplies OLED displays for various smartphones, including the company's own flagship phones.
LG Display has been struggling, though - with low yields, poor display quality and securing orders. According to a new report from Business Korea, there is some skepticism regarding the viability of this business - including some inside LG Display's management itself. Business Korea says that LG Display may decide to shut down its flexible OLED smartphone business, and focus on automotive OLED displays (in a somewhat similar move to what it may have decided to do with its OLED lighting business).
Dell starts shipping the first 2019 OLED laptop
In February 2019 Samsung Display started to mass produce its new 15.6" 3840x2160 OLED display panels, and finally we have the first laptop to ship with such a panel - Dell is now offering its 2019 Alienware m15 laptop. The 15.6" OLED display is a $350 extra compared to the regular 15.6" FHD LCD.
SDC is targeting premium laptops, as these ultra high resolution panels are optimized for gaming, graphic design and video streaming. At CES we saw three companies that announced 15" OLED laptops - HP with its Spectre x360, Lenovo with the Yoga C730 and Dell with the XPS 15, Dell G7 15 and the Alienware m15 which is indeed now shipping.
New small AMOLED displays now available
We have added two new displays to the OLED marketplace. The first is a 1.91" 240x536 AMOLED display that can be useful for many applications. The second is a small 0.95-inch 120x240 BOE AMOLED that has a 4-Wire SPI interface and an embedded touch layer.
If you are interested in these new AMOLED displays you can check out more information over at the OLED Marketplace, or contact us now.
OLED-Info updates its OLED Market Reports
In early April we published new versions of our market reports - that cover the flexible, VR/AR, microdisplays, automotive, PMOLED and graphene OLED markets. OLED-Info provides comprehensive niche OLED market reports, and our reports cover everything you need to know about the niche market, and can be useful if you want to understand how the OLED industry works and what this technology can provide for your own industry.
The reports are now updated to April 2019 - click here for more information and to download your OLED market report today.
LG Chem will receive DuPont's entire soluble OLED IP (540 materials and process patents) and all of DuPont's related equipment and R&D facilities. The deal does not include any assets related to DowDupont's evaporation OLED business.
According to Reuters Japan Display has signed a deal with Apple to supply OLED screens for Apple's 2019 Watch device. Click above for our take on this story.
Foxconn says that it may in the future add OLED and Micro-LED production lines in its Wisconsin factory.
Samsung's thinnest tablet yet features a 10.5-inch WQXGA (2560x1600) Super AMOLED display with a 81.8% screen-to-body ratio.
The new display uses a transparent OLED panel housed in a wooden cabinet that looks like a regular glass cabinet.
a group of investors from Taiwan and China, led by TPK and the Harvest Group will invest $720 million in JDI. The INCJ fund will provide the rest of the money via bonds and a debt-to-equity swap.
Both Xiaomi and OnePlus is adding DC-Dimming option to some smartphones for people that suffer from PWM-controlled displays
LG started to ship its 2019 mid-range OLED TVs, the OLEDE9 series. The 65-inch model is now available for $4,299 while the 55-inch model costs $3,299.
Sony's A9G and A8G, will both start shipping in May 2019. The 55" A8G will cost $2,499.
Sony, Nissha and INCJ to support JOLED's 2020 post-processing module production line
A high-end gaming laptop with an optional SDC 15.6-inch 4K OLED display
A mid-range smartphone with a 5.9-inch 1080x2340 Super AMOLED display
A high-end smartphone with a large 6.7-inch 1080x2400 full-screen Super AMOLED
The Reno is a high smartphone that feature a 6.4-inch 1080x2340 full-screen AMOLED (a 6.6-inch one on the Reno 10x zoom)
A high-end smartphone that features a 6.7-inch 1080x2460 full-screen Super AMOLED display
Meizu's latest flagship smartphone features a 6.2-inch 1080x2232 AMOLED display
A large smartphone with a 6.39-inch 1080x2340 Super AMOLED display
A lightweight VR headset that utilizes dual 0.7-inch 1920x1080 Sony OLED microdisplays
An entry-level professional camcorder that features a Sony 0.39-inch XGA OLED EVF
A premium compact camera with an OLED EVF
A high-end rugged hybrid mirrorless camera with an XGA OLED EVF
A flagship OLED TV that houses a 77-inch 4K WOLED panel in a pop-up wooden speaker frame
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