Samsung Predicts ‘Sufficient Demand’ for MicroLED TVs, Even at ‘Higher Price Range’

Samsung’s launch of a "large range" of “household” microLED TVs in 2019's second half will create “new momentum in the home entertainment market," said Samsung Display Vice President Kwonyoung Choi on a Q4 call Wednesday. Samsung at CES introduced microLED TVs for home theater in 75-, 88-, 93- and 110-inch sizes. Samsung isn’t ready to quote microLED TV pricing, but “we're currently thinking that it probably will be at a higher price range than what is currently the price range for premium TVs in the market,” Choi said. With microLED to be positioned as “the product that can provide the best viewing experience to consumers, we think that even at that price range, there will be sufficient demand,” he said. Samsung’s current focus in foldable smartphones is on launching a new model with a different “form factor” than the first-generation Galaxy Fold, said JongMin Lee, a vice president in Samsung's mobile business. Another emphasis with the new model will be on “further enhancing the level of completeness of the product in terms of the display, the design and also the UX,” he said of the user experience. Foldable has “opened a new category of a superpremium product that's differentiated from the existing smartphone offerings,” he said. “We believe that going forward, the foldable phone will become a main category in the overall mobile market.” It’s “difficult” to disclose “a specific volume or sales expectation” on foldable phones, he said. Samsung is “increasing our capacity for production of foldable products, and we hope to supply our foldable products to more customers this year,” he said.