LG to switch to OLED displays for next flagship: report

PanARMENIAN.Net - LG Electronics is jumping on the OLED bandwagon, rolling out its smartphone models with the display in earnest from the latter half of this year, The Korea Herald cited industry sources as saying on Tuesday, May 16.

According to sources, the upcoming V30, LG’s largest-screen premium phone, is likely to come with an OLED screen in September, while the next flagship, tentatively called the G7, will follow suit next year.

“Most OLED screens produced at LG Display's Gumi E5 plant in the second half will be used for its sister firm LG Electronics’ smartphones starting with the V30,” a source briefed on the matter told The Investor on condition of anonymity.

“Some of the OLED production will be supplied to Chinese phone makers who are hoping to catch up with front-runners such as Samsung and Apple.”

He added LG’s OLED panel production will start in July.

LG has long been dependent on the LCD display for its flagship smartphones, while its competitors, including Samsung Electronics and Apple, and even some Chinese rivals are increasingly adopting OLED for their high-end models in recent years.

LG introduced its first OLED smartphone, the G Flex, in 2013, but failed to appeal to customers.

Samsung uses OLED for almost 70 percent of its smartphones, securing the panels from its display-making unit Samsung Display that dominates more than 95 percent of the mobile OLED market.