OLED-Info: the OLED experts

Samsung Display announced that its latest 90Hz and 120Hz Smartphone AMOLED displays were certified by Swiss-based SGS (Société Générale de Surveillance) to be "Seamless" displays. It seems as if SDC brands these OLEDs as Seamless OLED (90hz) and Seamless Pro OLED (120Hz).

Such high refresh OLEDs are gaining in popularity for high-end smartphones, as they deliver better gaming and video experience. SDC's 90Hz OLEDs feature blue length (image drag) of less than 0.9 mm (0.7 for the 120Hz OLEDs) and a response speed (MPRT) of less than 14 ms (11 ms for the 120Hz OLEDs). Samsung says these are the best specifications in the industry.

DSCC says that OLED revenues in Q1 2020 were $6.7 billion (up 24% from Q1 2019, but down 18% from Q4 2019). Both Samsung and BOE gained market share in the quarter, as LGD had a weak quarter.

DSCC sees the entire OLED market reaching $33 billion in 2020 (up 18% from 2019). Smartphone OLED sales will reach $26.6 billion, mostly led by a growth in flexible OLED sales. The OLED TV market will grow 19% to 4 million units in 2020. DSCC sees the laptop OLED market increasing significantly in 2020.

Researchers from Seoul National University developed a flexible green OLED device that uses 2D titanium carbide MXene as a flexible and transparent electrode. The display achieved an efficiency of 100 cd/A, comparable to ITO-based devices, while showing good bending stability.

The researchers say that the MXene electrodes are much more flexible than ITO electrodes and this material could hold the key towards highly flexible transparent conductive display electrodes.

LG Display's original plan was to start producing OLED TV panels at its 8.5-Gen OLED fab in Guangzhou in October 2019, but following some technical issues, production was pushed back, several times. The latest report suggested that production will only begin in Q3 2020 - due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and lower market demand.

Business Korea reports today that LGD finally started to produce panels in the Guangzhou fab - 48" OLED TV panels. It seems as if LGD has not achieved mass production yet, but some panels are already being produced. Mass production will begin, according to BK, later this month.

Bang and Olufsen announced a new flagship TV, at the top of its Beovision Harmony OLED TV range - a 88" 8K model, based on LGD's WOLED panels. The TV features a frame that includes a pop-up dual wood speaker mechanism that opens up when the TV is in use.

The 88" BeoVision Harmony costs $49,000. It joins the 2019 65" 4K model ($15,700) and 77" 4K model ($19,800).

In 2019, Doosan Corp spun-off its OLED materials unit, which is now called Doosan Solus (and is listed on the Korean stock market). Last month it was reported that Doosan Corp aims to sell its 51% stake as it needs to raise funds to bail out its troubled Doosan Heavy I&C company.

According to a new report from Korea, Doosan Corp demands 1 trillion Won for its Doosan Solus stake (around $810 million USD), but at this price it did not manage to find any buyers.