4K OLED: introduction and market status - Page 3

Apple analyst Ming-chi Kuo says that Apple plans to launch its first AR headset in Q4 2022, powered by dual 4K OLED microdisplays, produced by Sony. The headset will feature Mac-level computer power and will not require a tethered smartphone to operate.

Apple has been working on AR technologies for many years. Last year it was indeed reported in Japan that Apple is working with Sony on its microdisplays. Earlier this year it was reported that Apple has teamed up with TSMC for microdisplay production - but it could be that TSMC will be the manufacturing partner, while Sony will provide the OLED technology and knowhow.

According to a report from Korea, LG Electronics decided to launch its 42-inch OLED TV in 2022. The company first planned to launch it in the second half of 2021. The TV/monitor will target gamers, with support advanced video processing at 120Hz and a 4K resolution.

The reports says that LG decided to do this due to marketing considerations - while LG Display still plans to start production of the 42-inch panels before the end of the year.

OLED microdisplay developer Seeya Information Technology was established in 2016, and in 2017 it started building a $300 million OLED 300 mm microdisplay production line. Seeya's fab is now in operation, with a yearly capacity of around 20 million displays (monthly capacity of 9,000 300 mm wafers).

Seeya quickly became a prominent display maker, who's currently producing high performance displays to global customers. The company says it's currently the world's largest OLED microdisplay maker by volume. Seeya's current standard displays include:

AU Optronics demonstrated two new OLED display prototypes at SID Displayweek 2021. The first display is a 4K 32-inch 144Hz inkjet-printed AMOLED panel.

The second display is a 5.6" rollable dual-sided AMOLED display - which shows images on both side of the display.

China-based TV maker Skyworth announced two exciting new OLED TVs. First up is the the Skyworth W82, which is the world's first bendable TV, that can change from a flat screen to a curved one (with a curvature radius of 1000R), which Skyworth says is suitable especially for gamers.

The W82 sports a 65-inch 120Hz WOLED TV panel and features Dolby Vision, HDR10, Skyworth's AI Picture Quality 4K engine, VRR and 240Hz Crystal Motion OLED. The TV will start shipping in May 2021 in China for 29,999 Yuan (around $4,575).

LG Electronics announced its OLED TV range for 2021, with three new OLED TV ranges. It seems the company is set to reveal more OLED TVs during the year, as some notes include model numbers that were not introduced yet.

But we'll start with the actual TVs. The company's mainstream TV range for 2021 will be the OLED C1. These 120Hz 4K TVs come in 48-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch and also 83-inch sizes., and feature LG's 4th generation a9 AI processor, the company's latest webOS v6 and supports HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos. For gamers, the TVs offer HDMI 2.1, G-SYNC, FreSync, VRR and ALLM.

Sony Electronics announced its 2021 TVs, with two OLED TVs at the top of the range. First up is Sony's flagship 2021 Android OLED TV, the A90J, which will be Sony's brightest OLED TV ever. The 4K TV will come in 55-inch, 65-inch and 83-inch (yes, we will post on this soon - the first time we hear of a 83-inch OLED).

The A90J uses Sony's latest Cognitive Processor XR that provides the company's latest AI processor for an upgraded audio and visual experience. Other features includes HDMI 2.1, 4K 120Hz support, eARC, VRR and ALLM, Netflix Calibrated mode, HLG, HDR10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos and IMAX Enhanced support. The A90J uses Sony's built-in sound system (Acousting Surface Audio+) that uses the OLED panel itself as a speaker.

LG Electronics signed an exclusive marketing partnership with Microsoft, and LG's OLED TV technology is now the official TV partner of Microsoft’s new Xbox Series X gaming console.

LG says that its latest OLED TVs are the best way to enjoy gaming on the Xbox Series X, with features such as 4K resolution, 120 fps, an ultra-fast 1ms response time, low input lag and support for the latest HDMI specifications including Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and enhanced return audio channel (eARC). LG's latest TVs also feature the HGiG HRD profile.

During SID Displayweek BOE demonstrated a couple of interesting OLED displays aimed towards monitors and laptops.

The first display you can see in the video is a 49-inch wide (32:9) 3840x1080 240Hz AMOLED gaming monitor display, that features a brightness of 150 nits (500 nits peak) and a 95% DCI-P3 color gamut.

China-based EverDisplay (EDO) has recently started to produce AMOLED displays for tablets and laptops. The first rigid AMOLEDs are a 11" 1728x2368 and 15.6" 3840x2160 4K rigid displays for tablets and laptops. The first flexible ones are a 12.8" 1888x1728 panel for tablet-like devices and a 15.6" 3840x2160 4K flexible AMOLED for laptops.

These new 11", 12.8" and 15.6" AMOLEDs are now available in the OLED Marketplace. This is great news from EDO, as up until now Samsung Display was the exclusive supplier of AMOLEDs for tablets and laptops. If you are interested in this display for your device or new project, contact us now, or check out more information over at the OLED Marketplace.