Recently, it was reported that the QD-OLED panel that Samsung Display expects to be mass-produced in the third quarter of next year is likely not to be adopted by Samsung Electronics, but will be sold to TCL first. If this is true, TCL may become the world's first QD-OLED TV brand. Why didn't Samsung Electronics take the lead in adopting its own QD-OLED panel? What is the hidden meaning behind it? If TCL launches QD-OLED TV for the first time, does it mean that Chinese companies will have the opportunity to gain first-mover advantage in the field of QD-OLED panels and TV?
Compared with LGD's W-OLED technology, QD-OLED combines quantum dots with OLED technology. The biggest advantage is that it not only has the advantages of QLED high brightness and wide color gamut, but also has the flexibility of OLED. In fact, Samsung Display’s high-value-added large-size display technology route QD Display has four directions, namely QD-LCD, QD-OLED, QNED and Micro LED. Most of the time Samsung Display adopts a multi-target parallel strategy, but according to the maturity of these technologies, there is a simple sequence. At this stage, betting that QD-OLED is an important choice for Samsung.
It is reported that Samsung Display internally refers to the QD-OLED production project as "Plan C", which represents an important plan for leading Samsung Display to take off again in the "post-LCD era" and becoming a pillar industry. In 2018, Samsung Display announced the research and development of more advanced QD-OLED panel technology, and subsequently invested 13.1 trillion won (approximately 77.9 billion yuan) to build a 8.5-generation QD-OLED production line at the Asan plant, thus starting the W with LGD production. -OLED technology competition.
Recently, it is reported that the equipment purchased by Samsung Display for the production of QD-OLED panels has been shipped to the Asan factory near Seoul. The quantum dot panel production line is expected to be completed by the end of this year. According to the current schedule, the test production will also start in phases next year. In addition, Samsung Display is also accelerating the upgrade of its existing LCD panel production line to a QD production line.
Not long ago, Samsung Display stated that it will formally produce QD-OLED panels in 2021 and achieve a monthly production capacity of 30,000 units by 2025. However, Samsung Display subsequently stated that the QD-OLED panels expected to be mass-produced in the third quarter of next year are likely not to be adopted by Samsung Electronics. So, why Samsung Display’s large investment and dedicated research and development of the QD-OLED panel was not first adopted by Samsung Electronics?
According to industry insiders, this may be related to Samsung Electronics' more want to focus on Micro LED, and QD-OLED panel technology has not met expectations, and there is room for improvement. Li Zhongyi, representative of UBI Research, said that the current technical level of QD-OLED panels does not reach the brightness level required by Samsung Electronics, and Samsung Electronics, which values brightness indicators, will not adopt it.
Liu Yushi, a senior analyst at CINNO Research, said in an interview with a reporter from China Electronics News that QD-OLED uses blue OLED to excite red and green QD materials. Due to the natural defects in the luminous efficiency and lifetime of blue OLED materials, although Samsung Display has invested huge amounts Used to improve the blue light material, but it seems that Samsung Electronics still has concerns about the reliability of QD-OLED.
It is reported that Samsung Display will supply QD-OLED panels to TCL in the first half of next year, and TCL plans to launch 65-inch QD-OLED TVs at the German International Appliance Expo (IFA) in September next year. If this news is true, this is an opportunity for TCL. Yang Yisheng, a senior analyst of GfK's Black Power Division, said in an interview with a reporter from China Electronics News that in the past, important technological upgrades in the terminal TV market were led by foreign companies, and it is difficult for domestic companies to gain an advantage in the high-end market. If TCL first launches QD-OLED TVs this time, it will help enhance TCL's brand image and share in the high-end market, but it does not simply mean that domestic companies will be in a "leading" position in this field. In fact, while TCL Huaxing is actively developing large-size WOLEDs, it has also invested considerable resources in the QD material industry chain. "Willing to try QD-OLED may also be evaluating the feasibility of entering this route, rather than relying on Samsung for mass production." Liu Yushi emphasized to reporters.
Zhang Hong, research director of the TV division of Sigmaintell, said in an interview with a reporter from China Electronics News that from the perspective of QD-OLED terminal applications, Samsung Display will mass produce QD-OLED panels next year. Both brands have shown a strong willingness to cooperate, but the process of product introduction for each brand customer is different, and it is not certain which brand can get the first launch. This has also led the industry to speculate, what beneficial attempts will Samsung Electronics make for the terminal application of QD-OLED panels in the future?
Insiders pointed out that Samsung Electronics has a relatively positive trend in the application of QD-OLED panels in display products. Samsung Display will simultaneously produce 32/34-inch display products during QD-OLED mass production. Omdia predicts that Samsung Display will choose a mixed cutting method of two 82-inch TV panels and three 32-inch displays in order to achieve efficient production. And this move can also compete with LGD differentiation. LGD, which focuses on large-size OLED products, has not yet set foot in the OLED display market, and Samsung Display is just the target of the 32-inch 8K display market. Liu Yushi said that Samsung Electronics is still worried about the reliability of QD-OLED. In addition to the rapid development of competitive technology Mini/Micro LED, Samsung Electronics may choose some relatively small product market to test the water QD-OLED instead of using it directly in the first launch. On TV.
Since QD-OLED uses two materials, OLED and quantum dots, and involves two processes of evaporation and printing, in addition to some of the difficulties of OLEDs that need to be overcome, it is also necessary to solve new problems caused by printing quantum dots. The development and breakthrough of production materials has become the key to Samsung Display's new technology development. In addition, the cooperation of equipment companies and the formation of industrial chains are also very important. Samsung Display’s next-generation display technology for QD-OLED is planned as QNED. Through continuous innovation of luminescent materials and manufacturing processes, it optimizes and enhances the lifespan and image quality performance of OLED TVs. However, the characteristics of key materials and the stability of supply and manufacturing process The process yield and other aspects are challenges faced by QD-OLED products.
The biggest difficulty is that blue OLED materials have natural shortcomings with short lifespans, and this is the advantage of competitors Micro LED. "QD-OLED needs to solve the blue light life problem before mass production of large-size Micro LEDs, to have a chance to seize the market." Liu Yushi said. Zhang Hong said: "QD-OLED panel cost, supply scale guarantee and product market positioning will be the main factors restricting the growth of terminal applications. It is expected that QD-OLED products will be positioned in the ultra-high-end market in the next two years, and the market scale will remain Limited; the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of QD-OLED output value is expected to reach 104% in the next five years, which is a very fast growth rate. "It is expected that in the next three years, Korean manufacturers will continue to maintain absolute technological leadership in the QD-OLED field , Chinese brands are expected to enhance and optimize their product structure and brand image through cooperation with Korean panel manufacturers in the field of OLED TV panels.
From the perspective of the TV terminal field, QD-OLED is a brand-new technology and a good supplement to the TV market. At present, the high-end TV market is dominated by QLED and OLED. Yang Yisheng believes that if the respective advantages of QLED and OLED can be realized through QD-OLED, QD-OLED will change the global high-end TV market.
