Samsung Electronics becomes first to commercialize MicroLED TV

[Photo by Lee Seung-hwan]

Samsung Electronics Co. on Thursday unveiled its new MicroLED TV due out next year, becoming the first in the world to market the next-generation TV technology that can significantly enhance image quality and offer slimmer screens.

The MicroLED TV is one of the two premium TVs in the Korean tech giant’s future TV lineup along with QD-OLED·QLED. This new TV boasts a lifespan of up to 100,000 hours, or over a decade, and offers stunning resolutions and vivid, realistic color quality, according to the company.

The 110’’ MicroLED is retailed at 170 million won ($156,379). Preorders will start this month in Korea, with the official launch scheduled early next year.

“As consumers rely on their televisions for more functions than ever, we are incredibly excited to bring the 110” MicroLED to the commercial market,” said Jonghee Han, president of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung MicroLED is going to redefine what premium at-home experiences mean for consumers around the world.”

The MicroLED display uses micrometer-sized LED lights that doesn’t require a backlight unit or color filters used in conventional LED or LCD displays. As it is self-illuminating, it is able to express the full color gamut, resulting in stunning, lifelike colors from the display’s 4K resolution and 8 million pixels.

Rivals such as LG Electronics Inc., Apple and Sony are also stepping up their R&D in MicroLED displays. Sony was the first to commercialize the technology through digital signage but has yet to release a commercial TV.

Samsung Electronics introduced its first MicroLED display by releasing “The Wall” in 2018. With the new MicroLED TV, it would become the first company in the world to commercialize the new TV technology.

The lengthy manufacturing process and hefty price tag, however, are obstacles to overcome. There are reports that it takes nearly a month to assemble a MicroLED display and costs are three to four times higher than making an OLED TV.

“What’s more important now is how much value we can deliver to our customers,” said Choi Yong-hoon, vice-president of Samsung’s Visual Display Business. “Prices are expected to fall dramatically once more players enter the market and we have a more robust market ecosystem.”

[ㄏ Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]