Synaptics announced a new display driver IC for OLED-based smartphones. The new R66452 IC supports resolutions up to 1080x2160, HDR and 90Hz refresh-rate, which means that it can be used for VR OLEDs.

The R66452 also features Synaptics' latest OLED image processing technology (including flexible digital gamma control for smooth dimming, local-area ACL for high-contrast text and high-accuracy color enhancement). It integrates RAM for low-power operation and is available in either COF packaging for flexible displays or COG packaging for rigid displays.

JOLED (Japan OLED) was established in August 2014 by Japan Display (15%), Sony (5%) and Panasonic (5%) with an aim to become an OLED medium display producer using printing technologies. The Innovation Network Corp of Japan (INCJ), which funded JOLED, had a 75% stake.

In early 2016 it was reported that Japan Display (JDI) aims to acquire JOLED, and this deal is finally taking place - JDI will pay around $100 million USD to INCJ and will raise its stake to over 50% (which values JOLED at around $300 million). Reuters say that the financing transactions, though, will only end towards the end of 2017.

IHS says that flexible display shipments (mostly OLEDs) will reach 139 million units in 2017 (or 3.8% of the total display market) - an increase of 135% compared to 2016 (59 million units). In 2023 IHS sees shipments of 560 million flexible displays.

In 2017, flexible OLEDs will comprise 20% of the total OLED display market. The growth in flexible OLED adoption will be lead by smartphones - and especially Apple's next-gen iPhone. In 2016 76% of flexible OLEDs ended up in smartphones - and the remainder were used in smartwatches (mostly in Apple's Watch, probably). Next generation flexible OLED applications, including tablets, VR devices, automotive displays and OLED TVs are not expected to be significant until 2023.

StoreDot was established in 2011, to commercialize bio-organic quantum dots based on a process developed at Tel Aviv University. The company's first product was to be a memory device - hence the name StoreDot. In 2013 I visited the company in its Ramat Gan office to report on its quantum dot advances for display applications.

Since 2013, a lot has happened at StoreDot. The company changed its direction and is now focused on a new organic-material synthesis method that enabled it to develop nanomaterials that exhibit quantum dot like performance but that are not actually quantum dots. The company is now targeting two applications - fast charging batteries and displays. StoreDot has moved to large offices in Herzelia, has now over 60 employees and raised over $60 million dollars (led by Samsung Ventures). The one thing that did not change is the name - even though the company is neither into memory devices nor quantum dots anymore...

A few months ago we reported that China-based AMOLED producer Everdisplay is planning to invest $4.1 billion USD to build a 6-Gen AMOLED factory. Today the company launched this new AMOLED fab officially in a ceremony in Shanghai, China.

On December 9th Everdisplay started constructing the new fab in the Jinshan Industrial Zone in Shanghai. Investment in the new fab, according to EverDisplay, will actually be 27.2 billion yuan - or almost $4 billion USD. The fab will be able to produce 30,000 monthly substrates (1500 x 1850 mm) and will be used to produce small and medium sized flexible AMOLEDs (1 to 15 inch).

Samsung is working on foldable displays for many years, as the company is looking to release a foldable phone that will be able to merge the phone and tablet markets (or possible a small phone that opens to a smartphone sized display). The company has recently accelerated its efforts, and such a phone may be released in 2017.

Foldable OLED concept (2013)

The main technology development drive is centered on the foldable OLED display itself - which is being developed for many years. According to a new report by ETNews, Samsung has decided to "test the waters" with a foldable phone that uses two different displays. This dual-screen phone will be easier to produce than a phone with a foldable OLED display. Of course the two displays, even if these are very thin-bezel ones, will still not merge to a real single display when the phone is open.

San Francisco based Osterhout Design Group (ODG) announced that it raised $58 million from several investors, including Shenzhen O-film Tech and Vanfund Urban Investment & Development. This is ODG's round A investment, but it is not a new company - it has been active with enterprise AR solutions for eight years, and in 2014 it sold some of its IP to Microsoft for $150 million.

ODG R-7

Why does ODG need so much money? Because it is entering the consumer market with its upcoming codename-Horizon platform, which will be an AR/VR platform that is based on OLED microdisplays. The Horizon platform will support a wide FOV, 120 fps and support for 4K 3D content.

Market analysts from Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) estimate that the market for OLED deposition equipment will reach new heights in Q4 2016 and Q1 2017, followed by even more expanded spending in Q3 2017.

The OLED deposition (evaporation + printing) equipment spending will exceed $2.5 billion on 2017 - rising over 100% from 2016.

Japan-based OLED material maker Idemitsu Kosan announced that it has decided to expand the OLED material production capacity at it's Korean subsidiary Idemitsu Electronic Materials Korea. Idemitsu said that decision is a response to the expected increase in demand for OLED materials due to increased penetration of OLED displays.

The Korean factory currently has a capacity of 5 tons per year, and this will be increased to 8 ton per year. Combined with its factory in Japan, Idemitsu total capacity will grow to 10 ton per year. The new capacity is expected to be online by the end of the first half of FY2017 (which means by September 2017).

A display supplier based in China just reached out to us with a new clearance sale of Samsung's 3.26" 854x480 (300 PPI) AMOLED displays. It appears that there are about 20,000 such displays at very low prices - about a third of the normal asking price for these AMOLEDs.

These Samsung's 3.26" AMOLED panels are 80.56 x 47.16 in size (active area 72.16 x 40.56 mm) and 0.76 mm thick. The controller is Magnachip's D53E6EA8805. This is a great deal, and if anyone is looking for these panels, contact us to reach the supplier!