CSoT demonstrates a 6.6" QD-OLED display prototype

CSoT demonstrated the first public QD-OLED display, during SID 2019. The company unveiled a 6.6" display that features a relatively low resolution (384x300) and brightness (50 nits). The backplane of this prototype is an Oxide-TFT.
CSoT 6.6'' QD-OLED prototype photo (SID 2019)

The QD-OLED is made from blue OLED emitters with a quantum-dots color conversion layer. This is a similar design to Samsung's QD-OLED TV technology. Interestingly earlier this year CSoT's parent company TCL has unveiled a different QD-OLED technology it refers to as H-QLED which uses a combination of OLED and QD emitters.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 18,2019

Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple to switch to an all-OLED iPhone lineup in 2020

Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that he expects Apple to switch to an all-OLED iPhone lineup in 2020 - with a high-end 6.7" and 5.4" models and a lower-end 6.1" one. The higher-end modules will also support 5G connectivity.

This confirms WSJ's report from January 2019. It is estimated by most analysts taht Apple's 2019 iPhone lineup will sport similar displays to its 2018 one (i.e. OLED on high-end modules and an LCD on the lower-end one).

Read the full story Posted: Jun 18,2019

Alienware is not yet ready to launch its 55" OLED gaming monitor

In January 2019, Alienware demonstrated a gaming monitor that uses a 55" 4K 120Hz OLED display. This monitor supports 4K at 120Hz using the new HDMI v2.1 connection (also supported by LG's latest 2019 OLED TVs).

Alienware now updates that it is not ready to launch this monitor yet as it is still a "conceptual product" and that its "potential commercial viability is still in question". The company did say that if the product progresses, it will make an announcement at CES 2020. This will be a premium product with a price tag of over $3,000.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 18,2019 - 1 comment

Prof. Ching Tang awarded with Japan's highest private award

The Japanese private Kyoto Prize was awarded to University of Rochester professor emeritus Ching Tang - recognizing Prof. Tang's pioneering work to develop OLED technology. The Kyoto award is Japan's highest private award and each laureate (there are three each year) is given 100 million Yen (around $920,000).

Prof. Tang worked on OLED materials together with Steven Van Slyke when they worked as OLED displays as research scientists at Eastman Kodak. Prof. Tang was previously awarded with the Israeli 2011 Chemisty Wolf Prize and was inducted into the US National Inventors Hall of Fame and 2013 Consumer Electronics hall of fame, both together with Van Slyke.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 17,2019

DSCC updates its display fab utilization rates report

DSCC has published an update to its display fab utilization rate report. DSCC says that rigid OLED roduction has remained strong since March 2019 (following a low period before) mostly due to a reduced price gap with LCD displays, larger screen sizes in 2019 OLED smartphones and aggressive smartphone pricing in China.

Display technology fab utilization rates (DSCC, 2018 to June 2019)

Flexible OLED fab utilization remains low but DSCC sees an improvement in June to 42% up from around 30% all over 2019. OLED TV fab utilization remains at very high levels (100%, in fact) and will continue to be high in June.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 14,2019

Reports from Korea suggest that Samsung still faces technology challenges before it can begin producing QD-OLED TVs

Samsung is developing its QD-OLED TV technology and the company was supposed to hold an investment review committee on April 2019 to decide whether to go ahead with plans to start production soon (mass production by the end of 2020).

QD-OLED stack scheme (DSCC, Oct-2018)

However in May we later reported that Samsung decided to delay the production - trial production will begin towards the end of 2020, with real mass production on a new 10-Gen line only at around 2023. A new report from Korea sheds some more light on Samsung's situation.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 13,2019

DSCC: OLED equipment spending will rebound in 2020

DSCC estimates that the mobile OLED equipment will rebound in 2020 - up 461% in fact to $8.2 billion, after falling 88% in 2019.

LCD and OLED equipment spending (2016-2020, DSCC)
In 2020, OLED spending will account for 56% of the total display equipment market spending, basically returning to the levels we saw in 2017-2018.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 12,2019

UBI: OLED production capacity to double by 2023, Korean makers to retain their 80% market share by area

UBI Research estimates that OLED production capacity will increase from 34.9 million sqm to 68.5 million by 2023. LG Display and Samsung Display are expected to increase production of OLED TV and introduce new 10.5-Gen fabs better suited for 65" TV production.

OLED production capacity by country (2019-2023, UBI)

Mobile OLED production capacity will also grow, but at a slower rate - from 13 million sqm in 2019 to 19.3 million sqm in 2023, mainly driven by Chinese OLED producers that produce flexible smartphone OLED displays mainly for the Chinese domestic market. Korean OLED producers (SDC and LGD) will continue to dominate the market and will retain their ~80% market share in 2023.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 12,2019