Samsung Electronics is preparing to launch its first OLED TV equipped with a WOLED panel from LG Display, and it could go on sale as early as September, Korean media is reporting.
After more than a year of protracted negotiations, Samsung and LG Display announced in May they had reached a deal that would see the latter supply the former with millions of White OLED panels, enabling Samsung to launch its first-ever WOLED televisions.
At present, Samsung’s only OLED TV offerings are its premium S95C and S90C models (pictured), which succeeded last year’s S95B. They’re equipped with a QD-OLED panel supplied by Samsung Display, which is a different kind of OLED display. QD-OLED displays are more expensive to produce, and Samsung Display only has the capacity to make a limited number of them each year.
With LCD rapidly fading to become yesterday’s technology, Samsung opted to partner with LG Display and procure regular WOLED panels for its higher-end TV models.
It was expected that we wouldn’t see Samsung’s first OLED TV until next year, but Business Korea now reports that the company has accelerated its plans. According to the report, Samsung has completed registration of an 83-inch OLED TV called the KQ83SC90A with the National Radio Research Institute in South Korea. That is a legal requirement before any TV can be manufactured and sold in the country. Both Samsung and LG Electronics go through this procedure each year with all of their new TV models.
The model number suggests the new TV will be positioned as part of Samsung’s existing S90C OLED range. That’s because, in Korea, the S90C is marketed as the S90A instead. If true, then it could become a little confusing for consumers, as it will mean the 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch options all use a QD-OLED panel, while the 83-inch version will use WOLED.
In any case, if Samsung does launch an 83-inch OLED TV it would bring a lot more competition to LG Electronics and Sony, which are the only two brands that currently offer OLED TVs in that size.
"According to the industry, the two sides have only a little fine-tuning left to do. It has already been reported that some of the initial quantities have been supplied. New products may be launched as early as September," Business Korea stated.
It could well be that we see Samsung launch its 83-inch OLED TV at IFA 2023 in Berlin, as the September date coincides with Europe’s biggest consumer electronics show.
