LG Group whose LG Display business has constantly struggled to deliver profits despite having a dominant position manufacturing OLED panel is facing a big new hit, a technology that could go one better the quality of LG OLED TVs.
The new technology is called NanoLED or QDEL with both Samsung and TCL racing to be first to deliver a new generation of TVs featuring what’s being described as “true quantum dot (QD) technology that could replace organic LEDs in the best TV.
Samsung are currently well ahead with the possibility that we could see a prototype at CES 2026 or even IFA 2025 in September.
According to Business Korea, the display manufacturer has several internal divisions working in tandem to get the technology to market a move that could see them drop OLED in the future.
Analysts claim that QDEL will have all the same advantages that OLED has including infinite contrast and wide viewing angles, the big difference is superior colour control, better power efficiency and a significantly improved picture over OLED, it can also be manufactured cheaper than OLED.
If the technology is successful, it could leave LG with OLED production lines that are currently running at 60% capacity struggling to find buyers for expensive OLED panels.
plus “superior colour accuracy, power efficiency, and lifespan.”
TCL Samsung’s biggest rival in the NanoLED space, are confident that they will be the first to get to market with insiders telling ChannelNews that they are confident of delivering a new QDEL TV ahead of Samsung.
Initially it was expected that the technology would be launched last year with Samsung management investing millions into R&D teams in an effort to get ahead of their competitors.
Industry sources claim that, both Samsung Display, and the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) and Samsung Electronics’ Visual Display (VD) are all working together in an effort to be first to market.
The issues delaying the launch is that scientists at Samsung and TCL are trying to work out ways to make quantum dots more stable in scenarios involving electrical inputs.
This has been described as being an incredibly sophisticated issue when it comes to larger displays, which often come packed with billions of QDs.
Last year at Display Week 2024 Samsung revealed an 18.2-inch NanoLED screen that featured a resolution of 3200×1800 and hit 250 nits of brightness.
At the same event TCL revealed a 14-inch 2.8K resolution screen that purportedly covers 85% of the BT.2020 colour gamut (most TVs can barely break 70%).
Business Korea claims that Samsung are concerned as “China is aggressively fostering EL-QD to gain technological supremacy after OLED. In terms of research papers and technological achievements, Chinese firms are currently ahead of LG Display.”
