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LG Rollable – No End in Site
March 22, 2020
LG Display expected to produce rollable TV displays for almost two years, but they continue to struggle with low yield due to the fragility of thin glass substrates. LG Display uses glass substrates with a thickness of under 0.2mm for the rollable panels. The slim glass is causing low yields due to the fragility of the substrates.
LG Display had originally planned to roll out its 65-inch 4K rollable OLED TV panel in 2019, but had to delay the launch to this year. One solution would be to replace the thin glass with Use PI similar to the flexible smartphone displays instead of glass, to allow for more flexibility and lighter weight. Source: THE ELEC, Korea Electronics Industry Media
Last week LG said its 2020 lineup of TVs will start rolling out in the US this month, but didn’t give precise dates or pricing information. They announced the $1,800 55-inch CX, LG’s mainstream 4K OLED set and a 48” model at $1500. The other CX sizes are coming in different months: April for the $2,800 65-inch, May for the $5,000 77-inch, and June for the new 48-inch size, which is going to set you back $1,500. That might not be as cheap as you were hoping, given that the 55-inch C9 from 2019 has often been available on sale for around that much, but models are both arriving in May at $1,500 for the 55-inch and $2,300 for the 65-inch. That follows the ultra-thin “gallery” GX line in April — $2,500 for the 55-inch, $3,500 for the 65-inch, or $6,000 for the 77-inch — while the 65-inch “wallpaper” WX is coming for $5,000 in June. Finally, if you really feel like splashing out, you’ll be able to buy a new 8K OLED TV in May. The 77-inch ZX will cost $20,000, while the 88-inch model is $30,000.
The company’s Guangzhou’ fab is now expected to begin mass production in May. The fab was delayed; first by Korean regulatory authorities who were concerned while in the planning stage that South Korean OLED TV technology would fall into the hands of Chinese competitors, then facing production yield issues, and finally the effects of the COVID-19 virus on workers, although the fab was likely running with close to full staff during the New Year holiday in order to work out the production difficulties. LG Display will likely officially reduce their OLED TV panel and set expectations for this year as the fab ramp is at least one quarter behind schedule. The original plan and current expectations are below.
Table 1: LG Display – Guangzhou Fab – Ramp Comparison
LG Rollable – No End in Site
March 22, 2020
LG Display expected to produce rollable TV displays for almost two years, but they continue to struggle with low yield due to the fragility of thin glass substrates. LG Display uses glass substrates with a thickness of under 0.2mm for the rollable panels. The slim glass is causing low yields due to the fragility of the substrates.
LG Display had originally planned to roll out its 65-inch 4K rollable OLED TV panel in 2019, but had to delay the launch to this year. One solution would be to replace the thin glass with Use PI similar to the flexible smartphone displays instead of glass, to allow for more flexibility and lighter weight. Source: THE ELEC, Korea Electronics Industry Media
Last week LG said its 2020 lineup of TVs will start rolling out in the US this month, but didn’t give precise dates or pricing information. They announced the $1,800 55-inch CX, LG’s mainstream 4K OLED set and a 48” model at $1500. The other CX sizes are coming in different months: April for the $2,800 65-inch, May for the $5,000 77-inch, and June for the new 48-inch size, which is going to set you back $1,500. That might not be as cheap as you were hoping, given that the 55-inch C9 from 2019 has often been available on sale for around that much, but models are both arriving in May at $1,500 for the 55-inch and $2,300 for the 65-inch. That follows the ultra-thin “gallery” GX line in April — $2,500 for the 55-inch, $3,500 for the 65-inch, or $6,000 for the 77-inch — while the 65-inch “wallpaper” WX is coming for $5,000 in June. Finally, if you really feel like splashing out, you’ll be able to buy a new 8K OLED TV in May. The 77-inch ZX will cost $20,000, while the 88-inch model is $30,000.
The company’s Guangzhou’ fab is now expected to begin mass production in May. The fab was delayed; first by Korean regulatory authorities who were concerned while in the planning stage that South Korean OLED TV technology would fall into the hands of Chinese competitors, then facing production yield issues, and finally the effects of the COVID-19 virus on workers, although the fab was likely running with close to full staff during the New Year holiday in order to work out the production difficulties. LG Display will likely officially reduce their OLED TV panel and set expectations for this year as the fab ramp is at least one quarter behind schedule. The original plan and current expectations are below.
Table 1: LG Display – Guangzhou Fab – Ramp Comparison
Source: SCMR LLC, TheElec, Company Data
BOE has also reduced expectations for its B17 Gen 10.5 OLED panel fab, located in Wuhan, the epicenter of the COVID-19 virus. The reductions are as noted below, and ChinaStar has moved initial production at its T7 Gen 10.5 LCD fab from September to December.
Table 2: BOE – B17 Fab – Ramp Comparison
Source: SCMR LLC, TheElec, Company Data