LG Display wants to strengthen its grip on the market for large-sized OLED panels and to do so it will soon launch its first 31.5-inch, 34-inch and 39-inch displays for computer monitors, adding to its existing 27-inch and 45-inch options. In addition, it’s also planning to mass produce transparent OLED panels in 30-inch and 77-inch sizes.
The plans were confirmed by LG Display Managing Director Yeo Jun-ho this week, South Korean website The Elec reported. The 31.5-inch OLED panels for monitors will have a 16:9 aspect ratio, while the 34-inch and 39-inch sizes will be 21:9.
By offering the 34-inch OLED panel, LG Display will go toe-to-toe with its rival Samsung Display, which has offered a QD-OLED panel of the same size since last year. It means gamers and other PC users will be able to choose between QD-OLED or LG’s White OLED technology.
It’s said that the new 31.5-inch panel could also be used to make some smaller OLED TVs. Currently, LG’s smallest OLED TV is a 43-inch model, but 32-inches has been a standard size for LCD TVs for many years already.
It’s not clear exactly when LG Display is planning to begin mass production of the new panel sizes, but the company traditionally makes such public announcements just prior to doing so. As such, we could realistically expect to see the first products being announced at CES 2024 next January. It’s not impossible that some could arrive even earlier – at IFA 2023 next month – though that is less likely.
One company has already announced a monitor based on LG’s 32-inch WOLED panel, namely Dough. It unveiled its new Spectrum Black 4K 240Hz OLED monitor earlier this month, but the company is yet to announce a concrete launch date for that product. Just this week, Asus also announced a 34-inch WOLED monitor.
As for the transparent OLED displays, The Elec said LG Display will begin mass production of the larger 77-inch model later this year. That specific size will be for transparent OLED TVs, though it could also have commercial applications.
We have increased the transparent OLED transmittance rate from the previous 40% to 45% this year, and we plan to increase it further in the future," The Elec quoted Jun-ho as saying. “We've been thinking mainly about TVs in the past, but now we're thinking about medium and transparent OLEDs in line with lifestyle changes.”
