June 2020

Audi unveiled its 2021 Q5 crossover, which now includes optional OLED taillights. The new SUV family also includes a plug-in hybrid model and the sporty SQ5 variant.

The OLED taillights are built from three OLED panels, each with six segments. Audi offers three different "signatures" or designs, which the customers can choose from when buying the Q5. The segmented OLEDs show different lighting patterns with locking and unlocking the SUV, or to show a welcome pattern when you are close to the car.

In March 2017 OLED maker BOE Technology and OLED microdisplay maker OLiGHTEK announced a new joint-venture to produce OLED microdisplays for the consumer VR and AR markets. In September 2019 BOE started shipping a 0.39" Full-HD (1920x1080, 5644 PPI) one, and the company now started shipping a larger 0.71" Full-HD panel as well.

We are happy to report that this new high-quality display is already listed at the OLED Marketplace, and we have access to this display at a relatively low cost. Contact us if you are interested in this display. We also list BOE's 0.39" FHD panel.

DSCC posted an update to their OLED (and LCD) fab capacity and utilization rate estimations. DSCC thought that Samsung's rigid OLED lines will remain in high utilization (almost 90%) in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic lowered demand for OLEDs, and Q2 saw a sharp reduction in production of both flexible and rigid OLEDs. Looking into the rest of 2020, DSCC expects demand for OLED to rise.

DSCC also sees flexible OLED capacity almost overtaking LTPS LCD capacity by the end of 2020. Both flexible and rigid OLED capacity is increasing, while LCD production is reduced (in 2019 JDI shutdown its Hakusan LCD plant which reduced LTPS LCD capacity by 7%).

Amber Molecular announced that it has completed its Series A funding round, raising $5 million USD, led by Phoenix Venture Partners.

Amber Molecular was established in 2017 by researchers at The University of Toronto in Canada to develop novel fluorescent OLED emitters. Amber Molecular's patented family of fluorescent OLED emissive materials produce photons in the orange, red and infrared spectrum, targeting new OLED applications.

JOLED announced that it has filed lawsuits in the US and Germany against Samsung Electronics and Samsung Display. JOLED says that Samsung infringed on its OLED patents without a license.

JOLED (Japan OLED) was established in August 2014 by Japan Display, Sony and Panasonic to produce OLED displays using inkjet printing technology. The company has (or applied for) around 4,000 global OLED patents. We do know which patents JOLED refers to in its new law suit.

Samsung Display is updating its A3 flexible OLED production line, to support two new technologies. The TFT process is being updated, for some of the capacity, to Apple's LTPO technology. LTPO is currently used in Apple's Watch displays, but next-generation iPhones will adopt it as well.

According to UBI, Samsung will dedicate 75,000 monthly substrates to produce smartphone LTPO displays. According to some reports, Samsung has also developed its own backplane technology which is similar to LTPO, it could be that some of this capacity will be used for Samsung's own displays.

JOLED announced that TCL CSoT has invested 20 billion Yen (around $187 million USD) in the company, and has also signed an agreement to jointly develop OLED TV printing technologies.

This is a very interesting development. TCL has been a long time believer in inkjet printing for OLED displays, and the company has established Juhua Printing in 2016 (together with TianMa and other collaborators) as an "open-innovation platform" to develop ink-jet printing of OLED panels. JOLED was not involved as far as we know in this alliance - so has TCL given up on Juhua and is now aiming to rely on JOLED's technology?

According to Invest India, Samsung Electronics is looking into establishing a smartphone OLED display manufacturing fab in India's Uttar Pradesh. The facility, which will likely to be a module assembly factory, will begin operations in 2021.

Samsung Electronics is reportedly looking to remove facilities from China to other countries, including Vietnam and now India. The company aims to receive tax incentives from the Indian government towards this ~$700 million facility.

Germany-based OLED lighting developer Inuru announced that it has completed its Series-A funding round. Inuru raised €2.3 Million, led by Warsaw based venture capital fund ARIA.

Inuru aims to use the funds to accelerate the production of affordable active packaging and labeling products. Inuru uses flexible OLED lighting devices to develop "luminous label and packaging solutions".

LG Electronics finally started shipping the world's first 48-inch OLED TV. The OLED48CX is now shipping in Europe. The price is relatively high (1,999 GBP in the UK) but hopefully this will come down in price soon.

LG's CX OLED TVs, LG's entry-level OLEDs for 2020, feature LG's latest 3^rd-Gen Alpha 9 processor, which offers better HDR tone mapping and deep learning algorithms to improve picture quality. The TVs also offer NVIDIA G-Sync compatibility for gamers. The TVs are available in 48-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch.