During LG Display's conference call discussing their Q3 2011 financial results, the company reiterated plans to release a 55" OLED TV product in the middle of 2012. LG's OLED TV will be Oxide-TFT based. This will not be mass production, but the company hopes that towards the end of 2012 they will announce their plans for mass production. LG Display is aiming towards 80%-90% yield in their pilot plant, and will announce the yield in the middle of 2Q 2012.
LG OLED TV prototype
We already know that LG isn't developing small OLED panels for mobiles any more, but LG are developing plastic based OLEDs (using their existing 4.5-Gen fab) as they consider these to have the real value for the mobile solution. They say that as they have experience with plastic based e-paper prototypes they hope that this is will not take long to develop.
These plastic based OLEDs won't be flexible OLEDs (the technology needed for flexible OLEDs is 'several years away' according to LG). The plastic will be replacing the glass cover to make the OLEDs thinner and stronger. Using plastic as the substrate to create a 'unbreakable device' as LG calls it is still several years away. Interestingly, just yesterday we heard rumors that the iPhone 5 will use a 4" shatterproof OLED display... so perhaps LG Display are developing these plastic-covered OLEDs for Apple? We can surely hope...
