Samsung's October Bet on Ultra-Premium TVs

'Dream Image Quality' MicroLED
Plans to Lead Home Model Market
Over 4 Times Brighter Than OLED
Capable of 8K or Higher Resolution
Commercialization Expected as Early as Q4

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Samsung Electronics is set to launch a home-use 'Micro Light Emitting Diode (LED) TV' as early as October. Through this, Samsung plans to expand its micro LED TV lineup, which has so far focused on large corporate screens over 100 inches, to the home market, aiming to lead the next-generation ultra-premium TV market.

According to industry sources on the 25th, Samsung Electronics plans to release a home-use LED TV estimated to be between 90 and 100 inches in the fourth quarter of this year. Micro LED TVs are displays made by densely attaching very small LEDs, measuring less than 100㎛ (micrometers), onto a substrate, characterized by flexible size and resolution adjustment.

The product is more than four times brighter than Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) displays and can implement resolutions of 8K or higher by separating and combining the screen in a modular way, making it a next-generation display technology expected to replace QLED TVs. Samsung Electronics demonstrated its unique technology in this field last year by unveiling the commercial 146-inch micro LED TV 'The Wall.'

However, the cost and time required to implant each LED element onto the substrate have been pointed out as drawbacks due to relatively low cost competitiveness compared to the technology. Considering that commercial micro LED TVs cost between 200 million to 400 million KRW per unit, the industry expects home-use TV products to be priced at least in the 100 million KRW range.

Samsung Electronics is reportedly developing its own technology to implant LEDs onto substrates to strengthen cost competitiveness. The company envisions achieving cost reduction and yield improvement through technological innovation within the next 2 to 3 years.

Samsung plans to officially pioneer the home entertainment sector by launching micro LED TVs for home use this year. Earlier this year, ahead of the world's largest electronics exhibition 'CES 2020' held in Las Vegas, USA, Samsung showcased a lineup of The Wall in sizes suitable for home entertainment TVs?75-inch, 88-inch, 93-inch, and 110-inch?at the 'Samsung First Look 2020' event.

According to market research firm Omdia, the micro LED market is expected to reach 480,000 units in 2021, 2.64 million units in 2023, and 15.5 million units in 2026. Considering the ultra-high price of the product lineup, Samsung plans to target top-tier consumers and gradually expand its market share. The first launch regions are expected to be North America and Europe, where premium products like 8K QLED TVs currently have a high sales share.

Some in the industry analyze that Samsung is rushing the launch because its competitor LG Electronics is preparing to release its ultra-premium 'Rollable TV' as early as the third quarter of this year. This is interpreted as an effort to secure technological leadership in the ultra-premium TV market and gain a favorable position in the next-generation display market.

A Samsung Electronics official said, "We plan to release the micro LED TV to the market in the fourth quarter of this year," adding, "Since the product is still being prepared, specific details such as price and product size are under discussion."