OLED technology is becoming more and more common with smartphones and tablets, while TVs are still scarce. By the end of 2013 Samsung will open its third OLED factory to increase supply and reduce product prices.
OLED has tons of potential and has become popular for use in smaller devices like smartphones and tablets, and has managed to get a significant market shares. Each pixel in an OLED panel is its own light source and the parts of the panel that represents a dark part can be simply turned off. The result is crisp blackness that looks very well with TVs, but so far it has managed to gain any real presence there.
Samsung has two OLED fabs that could make OLED panels for TVs, but the demand for smaller panels is hogging the entire capacity of these plants. With a third factory Samsung wants to make room for larger panels and hopefully launch its line of OLED TVs in retail.
The A3 factory
No less than 1.7 Billion Won has been invested in the project. The factory, dubbed A3, will be capable of producing 1,500 x 1,850 millimeter panels that can be cut into two 55″ TV panels, or more smaller panels at 5 to 10″ panels. It can produce up to 20 – 40,000 uncut panels per month, which on paper could result in 40 – 80,000 TVs per month.
If Samsung actually start a major scale production of OLED panels it could be a big step toward reducing prices to near sensible levels in retail. The market is still cool and it would be nice to see similar advances from other OLED panel manufacturers.
