OLED-Info newsletter

Samsung Electronics finally commits to SDC's QD-OLED Tech

In 2019 Samsung Display formally announced its decision to invest $10.85 billion in QD-OLED TV R&D and production lines. The company is already starting to produce prototypes, and is on track to start mass production in Q3 2021. Reports in 2020 suggested that Samsung Electronics was hesitant about the adoption of QD-OLED panels.

This may have changed now, as we hear that Samsung Electronics has decided to cooperate with SDC and release its first QD-OLED TV next year. In November 2020 we reported that Samsung Display started trial runs at its QD-OLED 8.5-Gen production line next month (December 2020). SDC will brand these displays as QD Displays. The first generation ones will adopt SDC's current hybrid QD-OLED architecture, but later ones may adopt QNED (quantum-rods) emitters.

SDC's plan is to start mass production by the end of 2021, in the first line (15,000 monthly substrates). SDC is also planning a second line to follow the first, to arrive at a total of 30,000 monthly 8.5-Gen substrates. In late 2020 it was supposed that SDC's further QD-OLED investment decisions will wait for around May 2021, as the company wanted to first stabilize production yields and start approaching customers to secure design wins. If Samsung Electronics indeed committed to QD Displays, this could accelerate SDC's project. SDC already shipped samples, meanwhile, to Sony and Panasonic.

Will BOE start producing panels for Apple's iPhone 12?

In November 2020 it was reported that BOE did not pass Apple's OLED quality test for the iPhone 12. Later it was suggested that BOE did manage to enter Apple's supply chain, although perhaps only for aftermarket (refurbished models) panels.

According to new reports from China and Korea, BOE has been finally approved as a third OLED supplier (besides Samsung Display and LG Display) for Apple's iPhone 12 - the mini and standard models (and not the higher-end iPhone 12 Pro).

Kyulux raises $34 million, announces management changes

TADF emitter materials developer Kyulux announced that it has finalized its Series-B-prime funding round, raising $34.3 million USD from several VCs and companies. Kyulux will be able to now accelerate its product development and drive for adoption of its materials in smartphone OLED displays.

Kyulux also announced plans to establish a mass production system for its materials, in cooperation with chemical companies. In a separate PR, Kyulux announced today that it has been assigned Kyushu University's basic Hyperfluorescence patent. Kyulux received an exclusive license to this patent back in 2015, but this seems to be an important step that will enable Kyulux to more easily commercialize this technology.

The company also announced a new CEO and President. Mr. Nakano will become the company's new CEO starting February 11, while Junji has been appointed as Chief Strategy Office. This is a part of a wide management change at Kyulux that reflects the company's transition from material development to commercialization.

In April 2020 Kyulux announced that it had shipped the first batch of its yellow TADF emitter to Taiwan's Wisechip to be used in the world's first TADF / Hyperfluorescence display, the 2.7" PMOLED announced in October 2019. In August 2020 the company released the latest specifications of its emitters.

Apple reportdly teamed up with TSMC to co-develop OLED microdisplays

According to reports Apple has teamed up with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) to develop OLED microdisplay technologies for Apple's upcoming AR products.

The reports says that TSMC is also doing trial production of microdisplays, but it will take several years before mass production is achieved. Apple's OLED microdisplay research is performed at its Taoyuan labs, where the company is also developing microLED technologies. It is reported that Apple is publicly looking for employees with OLED expertise in Taiwan.

This is an interesting report. Apple is also reportedly looking into adopting Sony's OLED microdisplays in its future AR products. It is likely that Apple is indeed running several such projects at the same time - as it may be several years before it actually starts to produce AR headsets.

To learn more about the OLED and MicroLED Microdisplay Market, consult our market guide, updated last month.

OLED market updates

Here are the latest OLED market updates:

• DSCC posts its latest outlook for the OLED materials market
• LG to increase 48-inch OLED TV panel production to 1 million units in 2021
• Omdia: LG Display holds a 92.5% share of the Automotive AMOLED market
• DSCC: production costs of miniLED TVs to be higher than OLED TVs
• LG Electronics sold over 2 million OLED TVs in 2020
• LG reportedly sold only 10 rollable OLED TVs in Korea since October 2020

Samsung Display plans to start producing rollable AMOLEDs by the end of 2021

Samsung Display confirmed that the company is developing rollable OLED displays, and that it will start mass producing such displays later in 2021. It is likely that the first customer for these displays will be Samsung Electronics.

Samsung has been developing rollable OLED technologies for many years, the demonstration above is from 2016. And of course it makes sense for Samsung to release these displays this year as other companies are already ahead of it - LG Electronics is set to release its first rollable smartphone in 2021 using BOE panels, and TCL/CSoT also recently demonstrated rollable OLEDs.

EDO progresses towards its IPO, plans another 6-Gen OLED fab

China-based AMOLED producer EverDisplay (EDO) is progressing on its IPO registration and has released some more information regarding is business. The company is raising 10 billion Yuan ($1.5 billion USD) and most of these funds will be used to construct the company's new 6-Gen AMOLED line. As you can see in the image above, almost all the company's OLED panels are used in smartphones and wearables. But in 2020 the company also started to produce laptop and tablet displays - EDO recently started to make 11", 12.8" and 15.6" rigid and foldable AMOLED displays for laptop devices. We list many EDO OLED displays in the OLED Marketplace.

EverDisplay was the first Chinese OLED maker when it started mass producing 5" 720p AMOLED displays towards the end of 2014 in its 4.5-Gen line in Shanghai. In 2016 EDO started to construct a 6-Gen flexible AMOLED fab also in Shanghai and the company is now ramping up this fab.

According to online LG Electronics is planning to release a second OLED monitor soon, B&H already lists it with a $2,999 price tag

Q4 2020 was the best quarter ever for Samsung Display

Visionox reported good FY2020 results, with increased sales and improved profits

According to a new report from China, Tianma finished the construction of the main building of the new fab, 50 days ahead of schedule.

Anandtech posted an interesting and what seems to be comprehensive review of the Galaxy S21 Ultra display, comparing it to Samsung's previous generation panels.

Scientists from North Carolina State University and the University of Texas have developed and demonstrated a new approach for designing photonic devices

Researchers from Soochow University, in collaboration with a wide team of scientists from China and Japan (including Prof. Adachi from Kyushu University) developed a TADF emitter material compound that features high efficiency and a narrow color spectrum

According to reports from Vietnam, LG Display plans to expand its OLED TV module production facility in Hai Phong, Vietnam, in a $750 million investment. If approved, LG's plan will increase its total investment in Vietnam to $3.25 billion.

OLED driver IC developer MagnaChip announced its financial results for Q4 2020, with revenues of $142.9 million and 2020 full-year revenues of $507.1 million

Universal Display reported its financial results for Q4 2020. Revenues reached a record of $141.5 million, and net income was $54 million. For the whole of 2020, revenues reached $429 million and net income was $133 million.

Ireland-based OLED IP company Solas OLED announced that LG Display settled its OLED TV patent dispute with the company, and has agreed to pay a license for its patents.

A report from Korea suggested that LG's rollable smartphone project is cancelled, and LG Electronics later denied this report

SmartKem says that the new financing will allow the company to continue and scale and expand the production of its ink material, its electrical design automation tools and its foundry services.

Korea's The Elec says that it has learned that Samsung display is developing in-folding OLED displays for Google, Xiaomi and Oppo.

Huawei's second-generation foldable smartphone, the Mate X2, features an inside-folding AMOLED display, a 8-inch 90Hz 2480 x 2200 one. There is also an external 6.45-inch 1160 x 2700 90Hz (240Hz touch sampling rate) AMOLED display.

Xiaomi's Mi 11 smartphone features a 6.81-inch 1440x3200 120Hz 1,500 nits AMOLED display

The Galaxy F62 features a 6.7-inch 1080x2400 420-nits Super AMOLED (Plus?) display

Xiaomi's Redmi K40 smartphone series all feature the same 6.67-inch 1080x2400 120Hz 1,300 nits Super AMOLED display