Micro-LED's Future as OLED Replacement Hinges on Application: IDTechEx

Whether Micro-LED displays can eventually replace OLED depends on the application in the near- to mid-term, said a Friday IDTechEx report. Many industry watchers have positioned the displays to succeed OLED, which is dominated by Samsung Display and LG Display with their production capacity, mature technology upstream materials and equipment, downstream application and complete supply chains, said the researcher. Samsung applies its small- to mid-sized OLED panels to Samsung smartphones first, and LG supplies its large panels first to LG TVs. Quantum dot technology, which improves color gamut by applying QD films in the LCD structure, is “catching up.” Micro-LED displays offer upsides in wide color gamut, high luminance, low power consumption, stability and lifetime, long lifetime, wide viewing angle, high dynamic range, high contrast, fast refresh rate, transparency, seamless connection, and sensor integration capability, but not all the benefits can be realized due to technology maturity and cost, it said. Smartphone users, for instance, may change their phone every two to three years, “making the long lifetime less attractive considering the costs.”