[Report] 'XR Headsets and Future Cars' Seen at Display Exhibition... Samsung and LGD Showcase Their Technological Prowess

'K-Display 2024' Opens at COEX on the 14th
135 Companies Including Samsung D and LGD Participate
Wide Range of Display Technologies Unveiled

"You will be able to see new changes in displays such as foldable and rollable, moving beyond traditional product groups like TVs, smartphones, and monitors, and joining new growth industries like mobility and extended reality (XR)." (June 14, Choi Joo-sun, President of Samsung Display)

At the 'K-Display 2024' held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the same day, visitors could witness the future of various displays, just as President Choi mentioned. In particular, next-generation technologies introduced by domestic companies to counter the rapidly advancing Chinese display industry stood out. According to President Choi, buyers from around the world, including the United States, Japan, and Malaysia, attended in more than triple the usual numbers.

On the 14th, a Smart Headphone exhibited at the Samsung Display booth at 'K-Display 2024'.
[Photo by Han Yeju]

The areas with the largest crowds were, unsurprisingly, the Samsung Display and LG Display booths. Both companies set up the largest booths at the exhibition and showcased their differentiated organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technologies.

At the Samsung Display booth, the foldable panel durability test caught visitors' attention. Samsung Display's 'OLED Bot' placed a 7.6-inch foldable panel into a water-filled tank and shook it, sprinkled salt and pepper, scrubbed it with a steel scouring pad, and poured dozens of steel balls onto the panel all at once. They also demonstrated durability by folding the panel 30,000 times at minus 20 degrees Celsius and plus 60 degrees Celsius without any damage.

On the 14th, visitors gathered around the foldable panel durability test displayed at the Samsung Display booth at 'K-Display 2024'.
[Photo by Han Yeju]

The gaming zone also attracted interest. Samsung Display exhibited portable gaming devices like the Steam Deck, which has recently gained great popularity, as well as 49-, 34-, and 27-inch gaming monitors and a 15.6-inch laptop that obtained Clear MR certification. In collaboration with Krafton, they provided visitors with the opportunity to directly experience 'Battlegrounds,' leading to lines of visitors waiting for the experience.

They also introduced various multi-foldable OLED technologies, including the flip-type foldable 'Flex In&Out™' that can fold 360 degrees, the 'Flex S™' which folds twice inward and outward, and the 'Flex Hybrid™' that combines foldable and slideable technologies.

They showcased the new OLEDoS technology, a core technology for XR headsets. Unlike the previously revealed RGB-type OLEDoS, the white-type (W-OLED) OLEDoS achieved ultra-high brightness of 12,000 nits in a 1.3-inch ultra-small size for the first time in the industry. The pixel density is 4000 ppi, packing the resolution of a 4K TV into a coin-sized ultra-small screen.

On the 14th, an autonomous driving concept car exhibited at the LG Display booth at 'K-Display 2024'.
[Photo by Han Yeju]

At the LG Display booth, the autonomous driving concept car equipped with displays throughout the vehicle, including the dashboard, center fascia, and rear seats, was the most popular. In particular, the '18-inch sliderable OLED for vehicles' was hidden rolled up in the rear seat ceiling and unfolded downward when the user wanted, creating a sense of wonder. It allows for watching movies, news, and video conferencing on a large screen inside the vehicle.

Other highlights included the largest existing vehicle display, the '57-inch pillar-to-pillar liquid crystal display (LCD),' and the '18-inch sliderable OLED for vehicles,' which also attracted visitors' attention.

They also emphasized transparent display exhibitions. The vivid image appeared and disappeared on transparent glass reminiscent of a window. They highlighted its potential use in various commercial settings under a luxury brand concept.

On the 14th, a transparent display exhibited at the LG Display booth at 'K-Display 2024'.
Photo by Han Yeju

Merck Korea, the Korean branch of the German science and technology company Merck, also set up an exhibition booth and introduced a large number of materials including low dielectric constant materials suitable for inkjet printing, flexible hard coating materials, OLED materials, and optical materials used in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

On the day, Lee Cheol-gyu, Chairman of the National Assembly's Industry, Trade, Energy, Small and Medium Business Committee, said in his congratulatory speech, "Today, we are exploring infinite opportunities for display expansion by broadening the scope of displays to XR, automobiles, and more. This will be a meaningful occasion to capture new business opportunities not only by expanding the OLED market, our main sector, but also through active cooperation among domestic materials, parts, and equipment companies, and to establish stability in the OLED supply chain. I hope the exhibition will effectively showcase the technological capabilities of key products and further strengthen the position of domestic companies in the display industry."