Samsung has finally struck a deal with LG Display in order to receive OLED panels starting next year. The deal means that LG will supply millions of WOLED panels to Samsung in the coming year, with the first batch reportedly being supplied as early as this quarter. LG Display already supplies panels for Sony, Philips, Panasonic and others for their respective OLED sets, however, Samsung has sought alternative routes thus far its own QD-OLED panels and Mini LED TVs.
While the first delivery of WOLED panels to Samsung could be coming very soon, it's likely that they will be designated for testing and product development and therefore we're not expecting a traditional OLED TV from Samsung any time soon. That being said, we are already anticipating what this new set could offer, as it could pose a serious threat to Sony's A80L OLED TV and LG's own C3 OLED.
This news has been reportedly confirmed by three sources according to Reuters (coming via FlatpanelsHD), with figures stating that Samsung should receive "two million units next year," which should increase to "three million and five million units in subsequent years." With a three-year road map already laid out involving around 10 million OLED panels, it looks like Samsung is banking heavily on these traditional OLED panels.
Up until now, Samsung hasn't featured a traditional OLED TV in its lineup for nearly a decade, instead pushing consumers towards QLED and Mini LED (or as Samsung calls them Neo QLED); and while the latter has resulted in some excellent TVs such as the QN90B, rival OLEDs have outclassed them in most cases. Samsung did debut its QD-OLED technology last year, which combines an OLED panel with a layer of Quantum Dots and so far we like what we've seen. Both the Samsung S95B and Sony A95K from last year received top marks from us, with sequels to both TVs launching this year. However, QD-OLEDs have cost considerably more than traditional OLEDs up until now, so we're looking forward to seeing Samsung's take in the coming years.
This also comes after Samsung Display ended LCD production last year, which resulted in Samsung Electronics buying LCD panels from Chinese producers. Since then, Samsung Display has been producing the aforementioned QD-OLED panels and selling them to both Samsung and Sony, however, there are various limitations that have meant that the QD-OLED production rate hasn't been high enough for Samsung to switch its entire high-end TV lineup over to the new technology. It looks like switching to OLED could be the Korean conglomerate's answer to this conundrum,
The big question on our mind is what will happen to Samsung's Mini LED (or Neo QLED) sets? Is there room for OLED, QD-OLED and Mini LED all to live in harmony? Or will that result in a cluttered and confusing TV lineup for consumers?
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Check out Samsung's full 2023 TV range
As well as our picks for the best OLED TVs
Read our full LG C3 OLED TV review