Demand for mixed-reality displays might push Samsung Display to get serious about micro-OLED
Samsung Display supplies screens for all kinds of devices, ranging from OLED smartphones to large QLED TVs. Now with growing interests in all things metaverse, the wearable headset industry finds itself in immediate need of high-grade extremely compact displays. Samsung Display sounds like it may be putting itself in a position to rise to that challenge, and new supply chain reports suggest Apple and Samsung have sought micro-OLED panels from the company.
While the company hasn’t yet supplied micro-OLED components to any of its clients, it's no stranger to this technology. SamMobile points out that the company has already been making prototypes and has researchers working on micro-OLEDs, even if it has yet to commercialize the technology. However, things could take a turn for the better, and industry publication The Elec reports that companies including Apple, Meta, and even Samsung Electronics itself are asking Samsung Display to step up as a supplier for micro-OLED panels.
Micro-OLEDs are thinner, more compact, and more efficient than conventional types of OLEDs because they are manufactured by depositing material directly on a silicon wafer instead of a glass substrate, earning them the industry name “OLED on silicon.”
The reports add that Samsung Display hasn't prioritized the advanced display technology in favor of better commercial prospects, mostly because the AR/VR headset market is so niche today. Moreover, micro-OLED isn’t the only display technology companies could use for their headsets.
Industry analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman believe Apple could launch a mixed reality headset in 2023. It's likely to source conventional OLEDs for headset displays from rival supplier LG Display, putting pressuring on Samsung. Apple may also be turning to Sony for micro-OLED components.
In theory, Samsung could also benefit from its display-making subsidiary’s expertise with its own headset, but we've yet to hear any specific details about such plans — perhaps it's waiting to gauge the relative success of micro-OLEDs in such applications before moving forward. A future where smart glasses and headsets are as common as headphones may feel like a distant reality today, but suppliers and companies seem to be gearing up for the inevitable boom.
( Details and picture courtesy from Source, the content is auto-generated from RSS feed.)
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