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.
Samsung MicroLED displays
Samsung Display and Samsung Electronics are mostly interested in microLED technology for TV applications, even though the company is also developing other microLED display technologies, including ones for smaller displays which may one day power wearables, smartphones, tablets and laptops and monitors.
For the TV market, Samsung is developing tiled microLED TVs. The company started with large displays that adopted miniLEDs, and is reducing TV sizes and LED chip sizes. Samsung's LED chip supplier is San'an Optoelectronics, but is reportedly working with more companies for smaller LED chips.
Samsung's microLED TV product range, made from tiled display modules, is called The Wall. Samsung is offering several Wall types and generations, and is constantly increasing its offers range. The Wall TVs, both consumer and commercial types, are still highly expensive are still in the realm of the ultra-premium segment.
The latest Samsung MicroLED news:
Samsung installs a 146" 4K microLED Wall display at Dubai's Atlantis The Royal resort
The Atlantis The Royal resort in Dubai, installed a 146" Samsung Wall MicroLED display at its Royal Mansion suite. The display offers a 4K (3840x2160) resolution and (according to Samsung) offers a "one-of-a-kind, personal viewing experience unmatched by other displays as the slim, sleek finish of The Wall’s Infinity Design blends in naturally with the suite’s refined elegance".
The resort also installed several other smart signage solutions by Samsung, including LED signage, large touchscreens with smart signage solutions and outdoor signage displays.
MicroLEDs at Electronic Displays conference: a talk with conference chairman Prof. Karlheinz Blankenbach
The European Electronics Display Conference (edC), which takes place next week at Nuremberg, Germany, is a leading display conference, which takes part as part of the embedded world event. The conference focuses on industrial and automotive displays, and includes two days of keynote speeches and sessions.
MicroLEDs are featured at the conference, as the organizers realize the importance of the next-generation display technology. We had a short talk with the conference charimen Prof. Dr. Karlheinz Blankenbach from Pforzheim University's Display Lab.
Q: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Dr. Karlheinz. Can you tell us a bit about the Electronic Display Europe Conference?
GridHiFi shares how it installed a 110" Samsung MicroLED TV screen at its showroom
Texas-based A/V retailer GridHiFi posted an unboxing video in which they open and install a 110" Samsung MicroLED TV in their showroom:
As you can see, this TV comes pre-assembled (even though it is made from different tiles) and easily installed.
Samsung Display looks to commercialize smartwatch microLED displays by the end of 2023
ETNews says that Samsung Display has launched a new project to develop microLED displays for smart watch applications. The company setup a new development team, with a goal to commercialize this technology and move it beyond its current R&D stage.
Samsung's plan, it seems, is to complete the development by the end of 2023, and then look into mass production, aiming to supply such displays to Tier-1 wearable makers such as Apple and Samsung Electronics.
Samsung announces new microLED CX TVs for 2023, ranging from 50-inch to 140-inch in size
Samsung announced its 2023 microLED TV lineup, with a wide range of sizes - from 50-inch to 140-inch. The TVs will still be highly expensive, but Samsung is expected to reduce its prices, and in addition it will be possible (finally) to self-install the TVs.
The MicroLED CX range of TVs will include sizes of 50-, 63- 77-, 89-, 101-, 104- and 140-inch. Not all the TVs will ship at once and in all regions. It is expected that the main TV will the the 77-inch one. But at the expected high prices, these will be sold at very low volumes, most likely.
Reports suggest that Meta is in talks with Samsung and LG regarding the future supply of microLED microdispaly
In August 2022, we posted that both Samsung Display and LG Display started to develop microLED microdisplay technologies. According to a new report from Korea, Meta is in talks with both Korean companies regarding the future supply of both OLED and MicroLED microdisplays.
It is said that Samsung targets AR devices with its microLED microdisplay technology, while it targets VR devices with its OLED microdisplays. Samsung's microLED displays will achieve a resolution of 6,000 to 7,000 PPI (higher than its OLED devices).
Just One Touch installs the world's first $800,000 219-inch Samsung The Wall residential microLED TV
An California-based integrator, Just One Touch/Video & Audio Center, announced that it has installed the first-ever residential installation of Samsung's latest 219-inch microLED The Wall TV. The price of this project was about $800,000. The installation took three days to complete.
The 219-inch display is made from the IW-008A modules, which offer a 0.84 mm pixel pitch, 120Hz refresh rate, a peak brightness of 2,000 nits and a maximum brightness of 250 nits.
Samsung Electronics to increase microLED TV sales and expand its product range
During the company's latest conference call, Samsung Electronics said that it aims to increase sales of its microLED TVs in 2023 and continue to expand its product range with more TV sizes, as it continues to provide a "differentiated customer experience".
Samsung recently started producing its smallest microLED TV, 89-inch in size, on LTPS backplanes. Its larger 101-inch and 114-inch LTPS models, however, are still not in production.
Samsung starts producing 89-inch LTPS microLED TVs
Towards the end of 2020, Samsung announced it's first "consumer" MicroLED TVs that adopt small microLED chips (this followed its professional/commercial TVs that used larger chips and are already in production for several years). These smaller TVs were scrapped later in 2021, and then Samsung further delayed its plans in April 2022 and did so again in June 2022, due to technical issues.
According to the latest report from Korea, Samsung finally started to produce 89-inch LTPS microLED TVs. Its larger 101-inch and 114-inch models, however, are still not in production.
Samsung faces technical problems with its microLED TVs
Samsung is offering high-end microLED ultra-premium TVs, and has recently made plans to start producing smaller-size LTPS-based panels in an attempt to widen the market (even though prices are still extremely high and volume is very low).
According to a new report from Korea, however, not only that Samsung cannot really find customers for its TVs (which isn't a surprise given the price), the TVs are also suffering from high defect rates - even in units shown in retail or showcase events. The report suggests that the high level of defects in the TVs have caused Samsung Electronics to decide to currently not expand its microLED TV lineup, and has postponed the release of 80-inch and 90-inch products indefinitely.
