Samsung Could Source W-OLED Panels from Rival BOE for Monitors

Samsung and BOE may team up to meet the growing demand for high-end OLED monitors. The Chinese display maker is reportedly exploring the possibility of selling its W-OLED panels to Samsung and other companies. If true, this would be a surprising collaboration between two arch-rivals, mainly considering their ongoing legal battles over patent infringement.

BOE is eyeing to supply its W-OLED panels to Samsung

According to a report from TheElec, BOE recently met with Samsung to discuss the supply of its W-OLED for OLED monitors. However, it is unclear whether Samsung will accept BOE’s offer. While the OLED monitor market is still small, it is growing fast and is profitable for panel makers. So, the Chinese display maker wants to enter Samsung’s monitor supply chain.

Research firm TrendForce estimates that around 2.66 million OLED monitors will ship worldwide this year, an 86% increase from last year. Right now, Samsung’s OLED monitors feature in-house QD-OLED panels. These displays offer better color reproducibility than W-OLED thanks to the use of a QD color conversion layer. Industry expert believes that the Korean firm has no immediate plans to use W-OLED for its monitors.

The report also says that Samsung asked BOE about the possibility of producing W-OLED panels for TVs. BOE has been developing W-OLED panels for TVs, including 55-inch and 65-inch models. It is making about 2,000 panels per month at its pilot line in Hefei, China, using 8.5-generation glass substrates. However, production yields are still low, meaning it may not be feasible to produce panels for TVs on a large scale.

Meanwhile, LG Display continues to supply its W-OLED panels for Samsung TVs. The company’s production capacity is 180,000 units per month. As of now, it is trying to lower production costs by applying the double rate drive (DRD) method to the display driver ICs of its W-OLED panels. This makes it more economical for Samsung to continue buying these panels from LG rather than relying on BOE.