MicroLED vs OLED

MicroLED technology is a next-generation emissive display technology that promises highly efficient and bright displays that offer superior image quality with infinite contrast and a wide color gamut.

MicroLED can be applied to displays of many kinds - from small displays for smartwatches and AR devices to large-area TV displays. MicroLED displays are often compared to OLED displays - the main display technology that it is rivaling.

What is an OLED?

OLED is the current premium emissive display technology, already adopted in many mobile devices, wearables and even TVs. In 2023 over 800 million OLED displays shipped to companies such as Samsung, Apple, LG, Sony and others. OLEDs can be made flexible, foldable and even rollable and the displays offer the best image quality currently in production.

MicroLEDs vs OLEDs

OLEDs use tiny sub-pixels made from organic emissive materials. Micro-LEDs are somewhat similar - but with an inorganic LED structure. Compared to OLEDs, Micro-LEDs promise to be much more efficient and bright, more durable (higher lifetime) and with a higher color gamut, mostly due to the superior performance of LEDs over their organic counterparts.

The following table shows a comparison between OLEDs and MicroLEDs (it also details mini-LEDs and regular LCDs):

As can be seen, microLEDs has the potential to beat OLEDs in most metrics, including power consumption, lifetime, brightness, temperature range and response time.

The main drawback of MicroLED technology is that it is not mature yet, and there are still challenges on the way towards commercialization, as current production costs are extremely high. It is believed that within 3-5 years microLEDs will be able to compete with OLEDs in some early markets (mostly wearables, near-eye microdisplays and ultra large-area TVs), and in the long term microLEDs represent the future of the display industry.

MicroLED-Info releases a new version of the Transparent MicroLED and OLED Market report released

Today we published a new edition of our Transparent MicroLED and OLED Market Report, with all the latest information and updates from this interesting upcoming industry and market, including the many new prototypes and displays recently unveiled by microLED developers.

Reading this report, you'll learn all about:

  • Transparent OLED and MicroLED properties and advantages
  • The transparent OLED and MicroLED industry
  • What kind of transparent OLEDs are currently on the market
  • The transparent OLED lighting market

The report package also provides:

  • Transparent OLED display product listing
  • A guide into buying transparent OLEDs
  • The main challenges towards transparent displays
  • Free updates for a year

This transparent displays market report provides a great introduction to transparent OLED and MicroLED technologies and covers everything you need to know about the market and industry now and in the future. This is a great guide for anyone who's thinking about adopting transparent displays in their products or that wants to understand this industry and market throughout.

Read the full story Posted: Mar 11,2024

Join us in April for a 2-day OLED innovations virtual event, as part of MicroLED-Connect!

MicroLED Connect, our hybrid event series focusing on the microLED industry, will be hosting a two-day virtual event focused on the OLED innovations, technologies, manufacturing, markets and more. The online event will take place on April 10-11, and will be an excellent opportunity to learn the latest OLED updates and connect with industry professionals on our excellent online event platform..

MicroLED-Connect OLED innovations virtual event agenda image

Today we have published the agenda for this event, with 20 exciting talks by leading OLED developers, supply chain companies and top-edge researchers. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn and connect with the OLED industry. You can register for the event here, with a yearly pass to MicroLED-Connect (with an option to also include entry into our September on-site event in Eindhoven, The Netherlands). Our members also gain access to past event recordings.

Read the full story Posted: Feb 28,2024

Samsung Semiconductors to take over Samsung's microLED microdisplay development

According to new reports from Korea, Samsung Electronics decided that from now on, Samsung Display will handle all OLED microdisplay projects, while Samsung Semiconductor (SSI, or specifically, the Compound Semiconductor Solutions team) will handle all microLED microdisplay development.

Samsung Display OLED microdisplay roadmap slide (2022-08)

Samsung sees OLED microdisplays as the solution of choice for next-generation VR headsets, such as Apple's Vision Pro (that uses 1.4" 4K OLED microdisplays made by Sony), while microLEDs will power the more demanding AR applications.

Read the full story Posted: Dec 24,2023

Yole sees significant microLED production in 2-3 years, with broader adoption in 5-10 years

Yole Intelligence has published its latest microLED market report, in which it sees commercial microLED production starting in 2-3 years, following several delays. In 5-10 years, adoption will increase.

In its base scenario, Yole sees microLED panel sales reaching $1.5 billion in 2029 and $2.2 billion in 2030, with almost 90% coming from wearables and AR/VR/MR microdisplays. The rest of the panels will be used in TV applications. If you want to hear more about Yole's microLED market insights, you are welcome to join the MicroLED-Connect online event later this month.

Read the full story Posted: Nov 16,2023

A spotlight on the Fraunhofer FEP: a MicroLED Industry Association member

We're happy to interview Dr. Uwe Vogel, the Deputy Director of the Fraunhofer FEP and the Division Director of the Fraunhofer's Microdisplays and Sensors division, as part of our series of interviews with MicroLED Industry Association members. The Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology (Fraunhofer FEP) is located in Dresden, Germany, and focuses on developing innovative solutions, technologies and processes for surface modification and organic electronics.

Hello Dr. Vogel. Can you introduce your company and technology?

The Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP is one out of 76 institutes and research units of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e. V., the largest European institution for applied research. The core competences of Fraunhofer FEP are electron beam technologies, vacuum thin film deposition techniques and technologies for organic electronics, microdisplay technology and sensors. Main activities target development and adaption of the thin film deposition technologies to a wide range of industrial applications. Fraunhofer FEP runs multiple pilot-scale vacuum coating systems.

Read the full story Posted: Nov 15,2023

Eric Virey to discuss microLEDs success potential in high-volume applications at our upcoming MicroLED Connect event later this month

The first MicroLED Connect virtual event is coming up later this month, a 2-day virtual event that will be focused on microLED (and also miniLED) technologies. The event will include over 25 lectures from leading companies, researchers and market analysts. 

Eric Virey, a senior display analyst from the Yole Group, will give a talk discussing the opportunities for microLED technologies at high-volume applications - such as TVs, smartphones, wearables and IT displays. Yole's research on microLEDs is highly regarded, and we're looking forward to hearing Eric's latest analysis and insights. 

Read the full story Posted: Nov 07,2023

AU Optronics may close down its OLED fab as it focuses on microLED display technologies

According to reports from Japan, AUO is thinking about closing down its 4.5-Gen AMOLED production line in Singapore, as the company is shifting its focus on microLED display technologies.

AUO's first target it to start producing wearable microLED displays. It has reportedly signed a deal with Tag Heuer to supply it with smartwatch displays. In April 2023 AUO 'launched' its wearable microLED display, and it seems it is ready to begin small scale production. It will take time for AUO to expand production, as the path towards low-cost and mass-production of microLED displays (even for applications such as smartwatches) it not clear yet. 

Read the full story Posted: Jun 22,2023

A new edition of our MicroLED and OLED Microdisplay Market Report released today

Today we published a new edition of our MicroLED and OLED Microdisplays Market Report, with all the latest information. The new edition offers more that a dozen new updates, new companies, new brochures and catalogs, and more. Global multinational companies are working hard to develop and deploy next-generation AR and VR devices, and these devices will all be based on OLED and microLED microdisplay engines.

Reading this report, you'll learn all about:

  • The advantages of OLED and MicroLED microdisplays
  • The microdisplays that are available on the market today
  • Information on all companies involved in this market
  • Future technologies and roadmaps

The report package also provides:

  • A list of all OLED microdisplays on the market
  • A list of all OLED and MicroLED microdisplays makers
  • Microdisplays spreadsheet
  • Over 25 datasheets, presentations
  • Free updates for a year

This microdisplays market report provides a great introduction to MicroLED and OLED microdisplays, and covers everything you need to know about the current status of the market and industry. This is a great guide if you're considering to adopt OLED microdisplays in your product, if you're looking to learn more about next-generation micro-LEDs and if you want to understand this industry better.

Read the full story Posted: Jun 21,2023

SID DisplayWeek 2023 - first microLED impressions

Display Week 2023, the industry's premier event, is now over, and it was a great week. We had dozens of meetings and saw many next-generation display technologies. As we go over all materials, we will upload new stories to detail the displays on show.

During the conference, we also hosted the first annual MicroLED Industry Association meeting, and were happy to see almost 40 people attending the meeting, and staying for several hours - discussing their latest technologies and exchanging information and news.

Here are our key takeaways from this show:

Read the full story Posted: May 28,2023

MicroLED-Info publishes a new edition of its Graphene for Displays and Lighting Market Report

Today we published a new edition of our Graphene for Displays and Lighting Market Report, with all the latest information. Graphene has high potential to improve OLED and MicroLED displays and can be used to enhance displays backplanes, electrodes, emitters and more. In addition graphene can increase efficiency in OLED lighting devices and improve designs.

Reading this report, you'll learn all about:

  • Graphene applications in LED and OLED lighting
  • Graphene's adoption as a backplane for AMOLEDs
  • Transparent graphene electrodes
  • Graphene-based encapsulation development

The report package also provides:

  • Graphene companies involved with display and lighting
  • An introduction to graphene
  • An introduction to lighting and displays
  • Details about graphene for QDs, lasers and thermal foils

This market report provides a great introduction to graphene solutions for the display and lighting markets, and covers everything you need to know about graphene technologies in these niches. This is a great guide for anyone involved with the displays and lighting.

Read the full story Posted: May 15,2023