Samsung Display appears to be all in on QD-OLED screens, after it was revealed that the manufacturer is set to increase its production of panels featuring the technology by a whopping 50%.
According to think tank UBI Research (via OLED Information), Samsung Display will increase the number of QD-OLED panels it produces from the current 30,000 monthly units to 45,000 units in 2024.
This is in stark contrast to LG Display, which makes the traditional OLED panel found in practically all of the best OLED TVs available today, and which reportedly stopped investing in production improvements in 2023. That means prices for traditional OLED TVs are likely to be set. On the freeze, which opens up an opportunity for more expensive QD-OLED technology to lower its price faster, and start catching up on market share.
Samsung Display also stopped making LCD panels for TVs in June last year, freeing up production capacity for QD-OLED displays.
Samsung Display currently only offers QD-OLED panels for TVs in three sizes: 55-inch and 65-inch, as seen in the class-leading Samsung S95B and Sony A95K, and now the recently launched 77-inch variety. But the production targets cited in the UBI report indicate that a larger range of screen sizes may be on the way from the company next year.
Analysis: Higher production means more QD-OLEDs…and likely cheaper prices
With recent advancements in black levels, QD-OLED TVs now look like real competitors as an alternative to OLED TVs in terms of performance.
The biggest stumbling block in tech adoption currently comes in the form of huge asking prices for panel TVs — based on early pricing for the Samsung S95C, it appears to be the first TV to feature a 77-inch QD-OLED screen. It will be priced higher than the equivalent flagship LG G3 TV.
Aside from Samsung, only Sony has jumped into using QD-OLED panels in its 4K TVs at the time of writing, but this latest news seems set to open the door for a wide range of brands adopting the technology in the coming years.
Economies of scale mean that the more units Samsung Display produces, the lower it costs to make each unit, which means the same TVs can be sold cheaper while still making a profit. This means that more companies, such as TCL, are getting involved in the QD-OLED business, which means they will compete with each other on price, driving things down even further.
It’s a long wait until 2024, so if you need a new TV now, check out the best OLED deals right this month.
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