Engadget has posted an interesting comparison between 6 different Android phones: MyTouch 3G, HTC Hero, Motorola Milestone / Droid, Acer Liquid, Google Nexus One, and Samsung Galaxy (laid out clockwise in the image below). Two of these have OLED displays, the Samsung Galaxy and the Nexus One. Engadget say that the best one is the Nexus One's 3.7" AMOLED. You can see for yourself in the following photo and video:

Back in December, LG announced it will buy Kodak's OLED unit. Back then the price was not revealed - but in Kodak's latest quarterly report they reveal that the price was $100 million. Kodak also entered into a licensing transaction with LG which gave them $414 million in revenue, this is not related to OLEDs.

Kodak's OLED patent cover OLED displays architecture (including the white-OLED with color filter design), OLED lighting and OLED manufacturing methods. In June 2008 we posted an interview with Mr. Corey Hewitt and Dr. James Buntaine from Kodak OLED Systems. In December we published an interview with Mr. Steven Van Slyke and Dr. Yuan-Sheng Tyan - discussing Kodak's OLED lighting technologies and business.

Remember Samsung 14" transparent OLED laptop? PlusPlasticElectronics says that Samsung actually plans to release this laptop as a real product within 12 months. They also reveal that the IceTouch MP3 player will sell for around $330 and will be released in the US in the first half of 2010.

Samsung 14-inch transparent OLED laptop

Samsung wants to dominate the transparent display market, and plans to introduce a range of new products with such displays within the next year. They will even consider products not normally produced at Samsung - such as a transparent automobile navigation system that can be placed on a windscreen. Now how about a transparent OLED TV?

A Japanese consortium of 13 companies (including Sharp and Hitachi) claims that they found a way to make LCDs using plastic film instead of a glass substrate. This means that those displays can be very thin and flexible. They do admit however that this is a very complicated process. They have shown a 3.5" bendable color LCD that just 0.49mm thick and weights 7 grams. They hope to make a better display by 2012, and use this technology to mass produce thin, curved LCD displays.

The companies say that the new manufacturing process is simpler than the one used in current LCDs, and also the new displays will consumer 70% less energy!

You can now get the Zune HD 32GB version for $249 (down from $290). The 16GB now costs $190 (down from $219). The Zune HD has a 3.3" 480x272 multi-touch OLED display. It also got HD radio and video (720p), Wi-Fi and a web-browser.

Click here to buy the Zune HD over at Amazon.com

Update: Samsung has offically launched this phone as the s-8500 Wave, with a 3.3" Super-AMOLED.

Samsung has a new phone, the GT-8500. It's the first phone that has Bluetooth 3.0. But that's not the most interesting bit - it has a 3.1" touch OLED that Samsung say is "anti-reflective" and thus suitable for outdoor use. It'll be interesting to see how it behaves in direct sun, and to hear what exactly makes it anti-reflective...

OLEDs has been said to have poor sunlight visibility, although newer OLEDs are reportedly better.

Samsung Mobile Display announced that they will begin to produce AMOLED panels with integrated touch function. They will begin to produce the first panel, a 3.3" WVGA, 480x800 one in March. Samsung brands these display Super-AMOLED.

Samsung makes Super AMOLEDs by layering a touch-sensor (on-cell) over the OLED display and evaporating it. The thickness of the touch sensor is just 0.001mm - which should allow the screen to provide better images than normal AMOLEDs with an external touch layer, especially under direct light.

Tech-On has posted an interesting article about OLED TV status. They discuss the situation of the technology, why is it so difficult to make a large OLED panel, and how are the various TV makers trying to solve the issues.

I think the two most interesting points are:

• They suggest that because LCDs have got so good in terms of efficiency,thinness and quality, it'll be hard for OLEDs to compete. Instead companies try to open new markets with transparent or flexible OLEDs, things that cannot be done with LCDs. Indeed we can see Samsung, Sony and LG all showing these kinds of displays. I think we may also add 3D OLED TVs to the mix here.
• They say that LG plans to volume produce 20" OLED panels in 2010. This is the first time we hear of such plans (beside a promise for 'larger panels' a few weeks ago). LG also plans 30" OLED TVs in 2011, and 40" in 2012.