OLED sales increased to $ 6.9 billion in the second quarter

According to the OLED market track published by UBI Research in the third quarter, OLED sales increased to $ 6.9 billion in the second quarter. This is an increase of 9.5% compared to last quarter, an increase of 18.5% from the same quarter last year.

The biggest reason for the increase in sales is the increase in OLED sales to China by Samsung Display, which leads the OLED industry. Huawei, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiomi’s OLED usage increased more than 1.5 times compared to last year, and Samsung Display’s sales in the second quarter were $ 5.5 billion. In addition, LG Display’s WRGB OLED sales growth and BOE’s flexible OLED sales boosted the market to $ 6.9 billion.

Samsung Display’s sales share accounted for 79.9% and BOE’s market share increased to 6%.

<Source: 3Q2019 UBI Research OLED Market Track>

In 3Q, sales are expected to increase further. Samsung Display’s flexible OLED shipments will increase further for Apple’s new models and Huawei’s Mate. LG Display will also begin supplying flexible OLEDs to Apple, and BOE has decided to supply flexible OLEDs to LG Electronics.

Samsung and LG fight for 8K TV picture quality

In response to 8K LCD TV quality disputes that LG Electronics compared and exhibited at IFA2019, Samsung Electronics raised the problem of burning of OLED TVs.

At the exhibition hall, LG Electronics displayed the same screen on its NanoCell 8K LCD TV and other companies’ 8K LCD TVs, and magnified images taken by precision cameras on the same screen area, allowing 90% reproduction of CM (contrast modulation) of NanoCell TV. However, it emphasized that other companies’ 8K LCD TV is only 12%. The company did not say what kind of company it was, but LG was recently emphasized that LG Electronics disassembled Samsung’s QLED TV after IFA and talked that QD-LCD using QD sheet does not produce good image quality. Thus the other 8K can be estimated as SEC’s QLED TV.

In response, Samsung Electronics publicly reported to the press that 8K OLED TVs disappear due to image sticking.

There is a very confusing dispute for consumers who do not have expertise in picture quality. Putting the two companies together, Samsung’s 8K QLED TV and OLED TV are both less qualified products.

In reality, however, the two products seen by the IFA were among the best of all existing TVs. OLED TVs have very high contrast ratios, so even in two-dimensional flat screens, the perspective is displayed as well as three-dimensional TVs. QLED TVs have very high HDR, which are delicately expressed from bright to dark screens. Also, the two products must be TVs with the highest precision at 8K resolution.

Korean media have expressed a lot of negative views about noise marketing of Samsung and LG, but it seems that the two companies’ TVs have been developed.

In fact, when Apple criticized the Galaxy for its low resolution, Samsung Electronics has grown to the world’s best product by raising the resolution of OLED to QHD level. In addition, Samsung Electronics made a negative offensive by pointing to the burning of OLED TVs, but OLED TVs expanded the market to nearly 50% of the premium TV market of more than $ 2,000. Of course, most of the burning has been eliminated.

Therefore, Samsung Electronics is also expected to be an opportunity to grow 8K QLED TV’s image quality into the world’s best LCD TV.

The two companies have a negative fight because of their own grievances. If OLED TV market share continues to rise in the premium TV market, Samsung Electronics expressed a sense of crisis as the QLED TV market shrank by that much. If 8K QLED TVs lower prices and target the premium TV market, LG Electronics should prevent the expansion of the QLED TV market in order to accelerate the growth of the OLED TV market.

In a strategy battle in which the spear and shield alternate, the TV fight of the two companies will be a good opportunity for Korean TV to maintain the world’s best level.

Fraunhofer FEP shows modular OLED light strips

Almost everyone is familiar with light strips for interior design. LED strips are available by the metre in DIY stores around the corner and are just as often found as under-cabinet luminaires or in decorative articles. But also in the automotive industry the demand for light strips is enormous. Customized strips with additional functionalities play an increasingly important role, especially in the area of innovative car designs.

 

Scientists at the Fraunhofer FEP have now succeeded in producing light strips from individual organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). What is special about this innovation is that the OLED light strips act like a single luminous surface without interruption.

 

Claudia Keibler-Willner, head of the “Sheet-to-sheet OLED Technologies” department at Fraunhofer FEP, explains this effect in more detail: “We manufacture flexible OLEDs with appropriate control electronics in such a way that any number of OLED modules can be connected without creating visible interruptions to the active surface. This makes it possible to produce infinitely long OLED light strips. An additional highlight is the individual control of the segments. This allows additional lighting effects such as different dimmings or dynamic warnings to be realized.”

 

But why actually use OLEDs for car interiors or luminous clothing instead of using existing LED technology? The enormous advantage of OLEDs lies in their properties as area light sources. In contrast to LEDs as point light sources, OLEDs illuminate surfaces and are therefore homogeneous. As a result, OLED strips require no reflectors, light guides or additional optics. They also impress with their extremely low installation depth and light weight. This filigree quality of flexible OLEDs, which are manufactured on plastic substrates, for example, can hardly be achieved with conventional LED technology. In addition, the reduction of glare effects contributes to increased road safety, for example in safety clothing with lighting.

 

The OLED can make particularly good use of these advantages in the developed modular light strips of any length: OLED strips can be flexibly applied to curved surfaces such as car bodies or furniture. They can be transparent when switched off so that the underlying surface remains visible. Thus the OLEDs almost melt into their surroundings. Dynamic control or dimming opens up additional possibilities, such as for welcoming scenarios at the car. Designer dreams for interior design are thus within reach.

 

The scientists are now looking forward to concrete industry inquiries to develop prototypes or small series of these light strips for innovative designs and applications.

[China OLED Trends] Will US-China Trade Dispute Accelerate Chinese Large-Size OLED Market?

Recently, due to the trade dispute between the US and China, a large portion of the budget planned by the Chinese government is flowing into the display industry while the semiconductor industry, which is one of intensive investment promotion industries, foreshadows difficulties. In the display industry, the focus is on OLED, which is a cutting-edge technology, and most of the investment is in the 6G line, a mobile product production line. This year has already been made at Visionox and Tianma on the 6G line, and BOE and CSOT will be invested further this year.

The Chinese government is actively investing in the display sector, which is relatively uncontained due to trade disputes between the United States and China, and it is reported that the mobile OLED production line as well as the large OLED line, 8.5G and 10.5G lines, are being reviewed ahead of time.

Large OLED lines are currently being mass-produced only by LG Display, and are being produced using oxide TFT and white OLED deposition. Samsung Display is also considering mass production by adding QD structures to oxide TFT and blue-based OLED deposition.

Samsung and LG are preparing to mass-produce or mass-produce by applying heat deposition method to organic materials, but Chinese OLED panel makers are oriented to mass production line of RGB Inkjet method (Solution Process OLED). However, as the investment has accelerated recently, experts are concerned about the investment of RGB inkjet method which has not been mass-proven.

This is because LG Display’s white OLED deposition method has already been mass-proven and Samsung Display is also planning to invest in the same deposition method with only the different structure. Indeed, it is necessary to see whether Chinese OLED panel makers will move beyond the second-place strategy to adopt the RGB Inkjet method or change their direction to the deposition method, a proven technology.

[IFA2019] Sony’s OLED TV Evolving from Year to Year

Sony, which is driving the OLED TV market with LG Electronics, is exhibiting OLED TVs with new features at CES and IFA after the first display of OLED TVs.

The OLED TV displayed at Sony’s booth, which was first opened on Media Day of IFA2019, did not show a woofer. Using surface acoustic technology to produce sound from the screen, Sony showcased the CES2019’s model with four actuators on the back of the OLED panel and a woofer speaker as the rear stand. However, the woofers disappeared in IFA2019.

According to exhibition officials, the secret is that the panel is arranged with six actuators, three rows of two behind the panel, so that sound can be displayed on the screen from low to high.