In August 2017, Japan Display announced a strategic focus on OLED displays as the losing display maker failed to keep up with the industry shift to OLEDs. JDI announced it will raise funds to accelerate its OLED plans and prepare for mass production in 2019.

In October 2017 Japan Display estimated that it will require more than 200 billion Yen (around $1.77 billion USD) to start mass producing OLEDs in 2019, and the company started reaching out to display makers in China and Korea as finding a partner in Japan is difficult. JDI hoped to finalize its financing by March 2018, but according to a new report from Japan the investors in China, while initially eager to participate, are now hesitating.

We already heard several reports that Apple is reducing its OLED display orders from Samsung (from an estimated 40 million in Q1 2018 to 20 million) - following lower than expected iPhone X sales.

New reports from Korea now suggest that Samsung display also announced to its own suppliers that it will not order any more parts for the iPhone X in H2 2018. It could mean that Apple is aiming to introduce new OLED phones in 2018, but the Korean reports say that it is also likely that Apple is not looking to introduce a new OLED iPhone in 2018 at all.

A display supplier we're in touch with has just received 750 pcs of Samsung's 7.67" 1280x800 Super AMOLED Plus displays (circa 2014). These displays were adopted by Samsung and other device makers mostly in tablets (the first one was in the 2011 Galaxy Tab 7.7).

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

The supplier is offering these displays at a very low price (almost half their regular price), if anyone is interested in these panels, contact us here!

Germany launched a new project led by Merck to develop quantum materials as light emissive sources. The three-year project is called "Exploration of quantum materials New paths to realizing innovative optoelectronic components" (ELQ-LED) and it is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and led by Merck with an aim to conduct basic research on quantum materials as light emitting sources. ELQ-LED is a three-year project that will end on the summer of 2020.

Merck hopes that ELQ-LED materials will enable ultra-pure colors, higher energy efficiency and lower production costs compared to current OLED emitters. The focus of this project will be on cadmium-free quantum materials but the partners will also develop supporting components, processes, transport materials and ink. All components developed in this project will be printable, and the project will test its developments in display prototypes and automotive tail light demonstrators.