Samsung ordering millions of OLED panels from LG, report claims

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Evidence of Samsung's massive about-turn continues to appear

OLED vs QLED
(Image credit: Future)

Samsung has been resolutely anti-OLED for years now, actively campaigning against the tech in an attempt to put consumers off the LG-manufactured TV technology and persuade them to buy a QLED instead. Now, report from South Korean sites MTN, ETNews, and Seoul Economic Daily (via The Verge) claim that Samsung are in fact about to sign a contract to buy millions of OLED panels from LG.

We already knew that Samsung Electronics and sister-division Samsung Display are  deep into discussions about the former buying QD-OLED panels from the latter but, if true, these new claims suggest an even greater about-turn is coming from Samsung.

In the case of QD-OLED, Samsung will be able to claim (or, at least, attempt to claim) that its new sets, which will apparently combine blue OLED material with red and green quantum dots, are the result of hybrid technology and not really the same as the OLEDs of old. It will likely find it much harder to make the same claims about any TVs derived from LG's OLED technology, which Samsung has been belittling for years on the grounds of limited brightness and the potential for burn-in.

It's also worth noting that Samsung and LG are essentially arch rivals, so the idea of the former having to swallow its pride and approach its nemesis to buy its trademark technology is fascinating.

Samsung Electronics apparently finds itself in this position because Samsung Display is finding it increasingly hard to make a profit from the manufacture of the LCD panels that Samsung uses across its current range (including its QLEDs), thanks to Chinese brands flooding the market with much cheaper panels. Samsung can either start buying its panels from these Chinese brands, or seek to go in a new direction, and it appears to have opted for the latter option, even though it means going with a technology it's publicly criticised and buying panels from its rival.

Ultimately, though, while these industry shenanigans are incredibly interesting (if you like that sort of thing), the upshot is that we should see OLED TVs from Samsung hit shelves next year, and that can only be a good thing, particularly where those TVs also contain aspects of the excellent QLED technology. Watch this space.

MORE:

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OLED vs QLED: which is the best TV technology?

Here are the best TVs you can currently buy

Tom Parsons
Tom Parsons

Tom Parsons has been writing about TV, AV and hi-fi products (not to mention plenty of other 'gadgets' and even cars) for over 15 years. He began his career as What Hi-Fi?'s Staff Writer and is now the TV and AV Editor. In between, he worked as Reviews Editor and then Deputy Editor at Stuff, and over the years has had his work featured in publications such as T3, The Telegraph and Louder. He's also appeared on BBC News, BBC World Service, BBC Radio 4 and Sky Swipe. In his spare time Tom is a runner and gamer.

2 Comments Comment from the forums
  • :)
    Reply
  • abacus
    Take a picture of the real world in HDR and then display them on a QLED & an OLED, then move your head to view the real world and then the TV and you will find that that both types of TV suck big time. (The OLED is too dull and dim and the QLED has poor detail at low levels even though it is brilliant at high levels)

    Combining the 2 will hopefully give a picture that looks like the real world, which is sorely lacking in current tech. (They also need to get rid of the shiny glass and go with a matt finish, as the real world is matt not shiny, hence the reason that a projector (Even with its limitations) looks way more natural than any current TV)

    On the flip side whether its sound or vision most users seem to prefer something impressive rather than realistic, so it may turn out to be a damp squib.

    Bill
    Reply