Samsung and LG boost OLED investment
February 19, 2013
By Chris Forrester
Yoon Boo Keun, head of Samsung’s consumer electronics unit, speaking at a briefing in Seoul, said the electronics manufacturing giant will boost investment in high-end Smart TV sets, and in particular OLED-based screens. Samsung is to release a new 55” set this coming weekend in South Korea.
Not to be outdone, LG is also ramping up its OLED large-screen production. LG says it expects sales of large-format displays to increase by some 15 percent this year. LG is investing about $660 million in order to produce 26,000 ‘mother’ sheets of glass per month, big enough to then cut into 6 x 55” screens per sheet – or some 156,000 panels per month.
LG’s new production lines will kick in about a year from now.
Well-heeled consumers can already buy a 55” OLED from LG, for around $12,000, and the first batch of 100 units were released last weekend in South Korea and sold out in minutes.