Transparent OLEDs: introduction and market status - Page 2

TCL CSoT demonstrated several OLED displays at CES 2024. first up we have an automotive 10.1” transparent OLED display, that offers 52% transparency. CSoT says that this is a "Smart Transparent" display, although it's not clear what is meant by that exactly.

The second display is a 14" 2.8K (2880x1800, 240 PPI) inkjet printed hybrid OLED. This is the first time that CSoT has printed a laptop AMOLED display. It uses an IGZO (Oxide-TFT) backplane, and offer a variable refresh rate (30-120Hz) to expand the battery life. This display was first shown last month, when TCL stated it is on track to start mass producing OLEDs using an inkjet printing process in the second half of 2024.

LG Labs (Korea's experimental product marketing unit) announced a new design, called the LG DukeBox, which is an "innovative" audio product that combines vacuum tube audio with a transparent OLED display that covers it. The OLED can be used to mimic a glass box, or a fireplace, or to show actual content such as movies.

This is a weird, but maybe quite lovely, concept. LG is not likely to actually commercialize this, but it is always good to know that the company is looking for potential applications for its transparent OLED displays. 

Seoul's Metropolitan Government has initiated a new pilot test at Myeong-dong Station that offers an AI-powered translation service for tourists that enables them to communicate with the subway staff through a transparent OLED display that shows relevant information during the conversation. The service supports 13 languages and aims to enable tourists to quickly and accurately receive information about the subway.

The transparent OLED display is a 55-inch OLED produced by LG Display. The pilot test will run for four months, currently at just one station. If the pilot is successful, it will be expanded to five stations in Seoul. 

LG Display and Starbucks Korea jointly installed a beautiful "transparent OLED Table" at Starbucks' Yeosu Dolsan DT Branch. The installation includes 12 55-inch transparent OLED TVs panels.

The 8-meters long table is placed at the center of the store, and display the images of rolling waves to create an experience like seating at the beach. The displays include sensors that create wave effects when coffee mugs are placed on the table. The transparent displays are placed above what appears to be actual sand. 

TrendForce says that the demand for automotive displays is stabilizing, and the company expects modest growth ahead. By 2026, the global automotive display market will surpass 240 million units. 

TrendForce further sees an increased adoption of automotive OLED displays, and the market share of OLED panels will reach 8.9% by 2026. Demand for standard OLED displays is on the rise, and OLED makers are developing next-generation high-end automotive displays, including rollable, transparent and ultra-large panels.

LG Display is demonstrating its new 30" and 77" transparent OLED displays for the first time, at the company's booth at K-Display 2023, in Seoul, Korea.

Credit: LG Display

The new 30" transparent OLED offers HD resolution, while the 77" panel offers 4K resolution. All of LG's latest transparent OLED displays offer 45% transparency. LG showed its entire range of T-OLED displays in a coffee shop setting, in partnership with Starbucks.

US-based Veeo announce a new display called the T30, that is based on a transparent OLED panel with a behind-the-display camera. The T30 is a monitor that enables video communication with an aligned user line of sight.

The T30 is offered in two models, 30" and 50", both based on LG's transparent WOLED panels. Veeo will announce the price of its transparent OLED monitor towards the end of 2023.

China-based Visionox demonstrated many OLED displays and new technologies at Display Week 2023.

So first up, we have some rollable and foldable OLEDs. You can see some impressive looking such flexible OLEDs in the video above, and Visionox featured many such displays at their booth.

LG Display demonstrated several exciting OLED display prototypes at Display Week 2023.

First up was the company's 77" 8K Meta (microlens-array) panel - this has been commercialized already, but it is always a wonder to watch this particular display which offers an extraordinary image quality.