Amazon are now selling the Samsung Captivate (Galaxy-S) for only $49.99, with a new service plan. It is now AT&T's best selling phone in Amazon!. The Galaxy-S, Samsung's latest Android phone, has a 1 Ghz processor and a large 4" Super-AMOLED display.

Samsung Galaxy S

You can also buy the Galaxy S unlocked for $599.

There are reports that Samsung plans to introduce their Super-AMOLED 7" tablet computer (the S-Tab, or the Galaxy-Tab, we don't know yet) next month at IFA 2010, which will take begin on September 3rd, in Berlin.

Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab

eMagin announced that it has signed an agreement to built its first production OLED deposition machine. The new machine is expected to increase OLED deposition capacity by approximately tenfold, to increase yield significantly and contribute to substantially more automated processes. The new proprietary machine replaces the company’s existing Satella, an R&D machine adapted and used by eMagin for production since its inception in 1996.

The new machine is expected to be completed in Spring 2011, with production beginning in the Fall 2011.

Universal Display has created a nice demo of their transparent OLED lighting panels - the Transparent Light Origami (TLO). It is made from 16 triangular glass PHOLED (Phosphorescent-OLEDs) panels that glow in either red, blue or green. When turned off, the panels are clear. Each panel is connected to the next via a friction hinge, so the structure can be folded and bent into a variety of shapes.

The design of the TLO was inspired by the observation that colors emitted by overlapping transparent PHOLED panels combine in an additive way, as is the case with overlapping PHOLED
materials in an OLED panel. Red and green produces yellow, red and blue produces magenta, etc. All three colors overlapping produce white light. As illustrated by the TLO, when overlapping layers of red, green and blue PHOLED materials are sandwiched within a single panel, white light is emitted.

Universal Display reported their financial results for the last quarter. Revenues were $8.4 million, compared to $2.9 a year ago. Most of the rise is attributed to development contracts and the sale of development materials. UDC reported a net loss of $4.4 million. Operating loss was reduced to $1.9 million (down from $6.3 a year ago).

Sidney D. Rosenblatt, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Universal Display said: Demand for AMOLED displays is reportedly outstripping supply. Manufacturers are in the process of significantly expanding their capacity for small-area OLED display applications and migration to larger format displays is expected. In addition, the development of white OLED lighting should create another exciting market opportunity for our technology and materials.

The nice guys over at APUS have kindly sent me an OLED watch for review. This is their Alpha Dark Force, which uses a blue PMOLED (they have other watches that use red or white PMOLEDs). APUS are selling the phones on-line in their web shop. The watches are also available in Amazon.com. The Alpha Dark Force, shown above costs $129.

First impressions

When you first take it out of the box, you notice something strange - the display is off. Then you realize that that's how it's supposed to be - the watch does not display anything until you press a button. Then it shows you the time for a few seconds, and turns off again. APUS say that this is to preserve the battery, which will drain in a couple of days if the display will be always on. More on this later.

A new project called TOPDRAWER (Thin organic prototypes, design, research, applications with end-user recognition) has secured funding from the UK government, and will start in early November and will run for 2.5 years. This is actually a followup project to TOPLESS, and is also lead by Thorn lighting.

TOPLESS project OLED lamp prototype

The consortium will develop and demonstrate a printed manufacturing process that will be integrated into attractive designs that have been created through consultation with potential end-users. The manufacturing process will be proved and tested within PETEC, that will acquire and install a large-area coating line.

NanoMarkets released a new report (OLED Lighting, An Eight-Year Market Forecast (2010) in which they say that OLED lighting will generate $6 billion in revenue by 2015. OLED lighting will grow quickly because of the need for cost efficient lighting in a number of different applications, including general illumination, architectural lighting, backlighting, vehicular lighting and signage.

Novaled transparent OLED lighting panel

Most firms today focus on general illumination and/or architectural lighting sectors. These two markets will generate around $4 billion in 2015. Vehicular lighting is expected to bring over $750 million.

Nanomarkets say that if OLED will provide an alternative backlighting technology for LCDs, these alone could generate further $1.4 billion by 2015.

Pantech is Korea's third handset makers, and now they say that they will not use AMOLED displays in their new smartphones because of supply problems. They are selling two AMOLED smartphones now (one of which is the IM-A600S which has a 3.7" display).

Pantech IM-A600S Sirius

According to Pantech, Samsung Mobile Display will not be able to supply enough AMOLEDs even for Samsung Electronics which is pushing AMOLED phones very aggressively (especially the Galaxy S phone).

AU Optronics has acquired Toshiba Mobile Display's subsidiary, AFPD. AFPD had a Gen-4.5 LTPS plant. Now we hear that AUO plans to use a third of the lines in that plant for AMOLED production. This means 15,000 substrates a month in 2011. AUO's own Gen 3.5 factory (which will also go in line in 2011) will contribute 7,000 monthly substrates.

AUO 14-inch OLED prototype