Organic light-emitting diode

Four 'Organic light-emitting diode' stories July 2011 - February 2013

Apple hires AMOLED TV Application Expert James (Jueng-Gil) Lee from LG

Jordan Kahn Feb 8 2013 - 9:00 am PT

According to reports originating from OLED-A.org (via OLED-Info), Apple has hired OLED expert Dr. James (Jueng-Gil) Lee. He was previously a senior researcher on LG Display’s R&D team and worked on printed AMOLED TVs. Lee was also a researcher with Cambridge Display Technology before joining LG, and he was the R&D head for LCD technology development at Samsung.

According to his LinkedIn, Lee was working on “OLED Technology Development for TV Application” at LG. At Samsung, he “successfully started the first three generations LCD production lines.” He also “showed track of records in yield improvement, productivity improvement, manufacturing cost reduction and new technology transfer into production line.”

Too bad Apple doesn’t make a television.

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If Apple chose to move to OLED, Samsung now has the numbers. Quality still a consideration.

9to5 Staff Apr 2 2012 - 4:41 am PT

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The Korea Times reports that Apple may consider moving its displays over to OLED from LCD. Samsung, Apple’s biggest display provider, is ramping up OLED production to the point where it could meet Apple’s demand numbers.

Thanks to the increased volume, chances have been raised to ship Samsung’s OLEDs for Apple’s iPads and even iPhones, said unnamed Samsung executives on the condition of anonymity.

`So far, Apple has questions over an output commitment and product volume as Samsung’s OLED business isn’t on full track. But chances have risen to break the wall,’’ said one Samsung executive.

Apple is Samsung’s biggest customer, buying $7.8 billion of components such as memory chips and LCDs in 2011. This year, it will buy around $11 billion of Samsung parts despite the deepening legal battle between the two companies.

Apple is using LCDs in most of its i-branded products. It’s known that Apple previously denied Samsung’s offer to use OLEDs as the American firm believes OLEDs have some “technological problems.’’

Apple spokesman Steve Park declined to comment.

I am sure Apple’s display requirements are not just demand-based. Those “technical problems” mentioned above likely include “Retina”-type pixel density resolutions and similar color accuracy of LCD. While OLED displays are often impressive to look at, sometimes they are oversaturated in color. Moreover, I have never heard of a model that nears 300PPI.

(Samsung Flexible Super AMOLED Display Pictured)
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LG announces 55-inch OLED HDTV, looks good enough for an Apple Television

Seth Weintraub Jan 1 2012 - 5:35 pm PT

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[slideshow]

Various reports throughout the year claimed LG is providing the television behind the Apple HDTV. However, nothing conclusive has surfaced.

As far as the big display makers are concerned, Apple’s relationship with LG is probably the strongest. LG makes iPod Touch and iPhone Retina Displays, some iPad displays, and Apple secured a $500 million dollar investment in LG displays in 2009. The net investment was a temporary exclusive on panels for the 27-inch display that Apple’s iMacs and Thunderbolt Displays now use. Sony also makes OLEDs, but it does not have a strong relationship with Apple – at least as far as displays are concerned. The other big OLED maker is Samsung, and it is currently tangled with Apple in patent disputes.

With that said, look at the things that will be shown at the Consumer Electronic show. They have a 4 mm bezel -that is half the thickness of an iPhone 4S- and weighs in at a paltry 16.5-pounds. In addition, things like “1,000 times faster than LED/LCD displays” and “infinite contrast ratio” makes this sound like one of the best displays of 2012.

(Full sized images and the press release are below.):

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Apple looking at 55-inch LG OLED displays for late 2012 Apple Television?

Seth Weintraub Jul 24 2011 - 6:30 am PT

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Smarthouse has a particularly bad reputation when it comes to Apple rumors, especially when they involve OLEDs. But we’ll bite on their latest because it is so tantalizing.

There is also speculation that Apple has held discussions with LG Display the Company that makes display screens for MAC products, about the possibility of getting access to a new 55 LG OLED panel that will be used in a new Apple TV that will be capable of delivering music, Video & TV shows over an IP network.

On Friday LG said that they will launch a limited production OLED TV late in 2012.

There are no shortage of people advocating for an integrated Apple television, but certainly the leader is Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster who expects one next year.

As far as the big display makers are concerned, Apple’s relationship with LG is probably the strongest. LG makes iPod Touch and iPhone Retina Displays and Apple secured a $500 million dollar investment in LG displays in 2009. The net of that was a temporary exclusive on the panels for the 27-inch display that Apple’s iMacs and now Thunderbolt Displays now use. Sony makes OLEDs as well but doesn’t have a strong relationship with Apple, at least as far as displays are concerned. The other big OLED maker is Samsung, who is now tangled with Apple in patent disputes.

If Apple does do a TV, it will likely have some sort of game-changer tech innovation that Apple could exclusively own for a period of time. A 55-inch OLED would probably qualify even though yields will be low and prices will be astronomical during the ramp up.

We’re still not convinced, however.
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