Samsung will unveil new TV models that use LG Display’s white(W)-OLED panels in June at the earliest, TheElec has learned.
The South Korean tech giant initially planned to launch the TVs in May.
But after the year-end reshuffle last year, Samsung had decided to reevaluate the contract it has signed with LG Display to procure W-OLED.
Samsung’s Business Support Task Force, the highest decision-making body of Samsung, had already decided that the company would use W-OLED panels in its TV late last year, TheElec has newly learned.
Newly named Samsung CEO Han Jong-hee had said during CES 2022 this month that the company was open to buying OLED panels from LG Display.
Given that Business Support Task Force has already approved of purchasing W-OLED, Samsung is now looking at the contract with a working-level perspective, sources said, and this process is causing the delay with the go-ahead.
The delay has also caused Samsung to postpone its plan to inform its global TV distributors during CES 2022 of its shipment plans for W-OLED TVs.
Samsung’s marketing team had initially planned to discuss marketing strategies with its distributors during CES 2022, but this didn’t happen.
However, once details are ironed out, it won’t be difficult for the South Korean tech giant to use the W-OLED to assemble and manufacture TVs.
Meanwhile, Samsung has agreed with LG Display that it will buy the panels at a similar price that is offered to LG Electronics.
During the start of negotiations, LG Display initially pitched a price lowered than that offered to LG Electronics, but Samsung had demanded further price cuts. This tug over price had cause the negotiations to be prolonged. How many units Samsung planned to purchase was also a key issue during the talks.
Sources said Samsung’s plan to buy around 2 million units of W-OLED and ship 1.5 million units of the TVs remain unchanged.
The company is also planning to ship around 500,000 units of TVs that quantum dot (QD)-OLED panels.
In total, Samsung will be shipping 2 million OLED panels this year.
At the same time, it is aiming to ship 3 million Neo QLED TVs, its MiniLED TV brand.
