More Smartphone Vendors Likely to Adopt OLED Panels if Burn-in Issue Can Be Solved

[MacRumors]

OLED panels are expected to penetrate up to 30 percent of the smartphone display market by 2018 through increasing adoption by smartphone vendors, according to industry sources (via DigiTimes).

The supply of OLED panels will remain constrained in the first half of 2018 as Samsung Display will continue to be the sole supplier that can mass-produce the panels, while rivals including LG Display, Japan Display (JDI) and Sharp may start volume production of OLED panels in the second half of 2018 at the earliest, indicated the sources.

Tellingly, that penetration rate could climb higher if the burn-in issue related to OLED panels could be solved, according to cited sources. Multiple reports surfaced in October about potential screen burn-in or image retention issues with Google's new Pixel 2 XL smartphone.

For its part, Apple says the iPhone X has been engineered to be the "best in industry" at reducing burn-in effects, but a support document published by Apple suggests burn-in is still a problem that some users could potentially see over time.

Apple will launch a trio of new iPhone models in 2018, including 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch models with OLED displays and a 6.1-inch model with an LCD display, according to respected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple has reportedly also expressed interest in buying advanced LCD panels from Japan Display for use in some of its iPhones next year. OLED displays offer sharper contrast and brighter colors than traditional LCD panels, but cost and supply issues are an ongoing concern for Apple, and are likely to slow down any full transition to the technology.

Japan Display's advanced LCD panels, which it calls Full Active LCDs, are said to match or exceed some of OLED's advantages at a lower cost, and Apple is interested in procuring them for use in at least some iPhones set to debut in its 2018 smartphone line-up, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, supply constraints of OLED panels are providing current TFT-LCD makers with additional time to seek alternatives to further strengthen their competitiveness, said DigiTimes' sources.

Article Link: More Smartphone Vendors Likely to Adopt OLED Panels if Burn-in Issue Can Be Solved

 

[FelixDerKater]

Everyone will jump in with OLED just before the micro-LED’s are Samsung’s new standard.

 

[itguy06]

Have had 2 phones with OLED - Samsung Galaxy S5 and now a ZTE Axon 7. No issues with burn in on either. Just great looking displays. I have seen some OLED's with burn in so I know it can happen but I think, much like plasma burn in, it's overblown.

 

[Xgm541]

I imagine image burn in is one of the issues with the least impact for low market penetration. Price is probably towards the top... For example I doubt engineers working on budget Huawei phones are chosing LCD vs OLED due to image burn in.

 

[JM]

Have had 2 phones with OLED - Samsung Galaxy S5 and now a ZTE Axon 7. No issues with burn in on either. Just great looking displays. I have seen some OLED's with burn in so I know it can happen but I think, much like plasma burn in, it's overblown.

The burn-in talk is really heating up.

 

[Aluminum213]

Once you go OLED you don’t go back

 

[fokmik]

Everyone will jump in with OLED just before the micro-LED’s are Samsung’s new standard.

micro-LED is sony thing, not samsung's

 

[Grey Area]

Once you go OLED you don’t go back

I've gone back. Not because I had any problem with it, but I also don't think the difference in image quality is really all that noticeable (definitely not living up to the hype). So OLED was not a requirement when I went looking for my next phone, and I ended up with LCD again.

 

[HacKage]

There was image retention issues on the rMBP, there is image retention on my work 2011 iMac. It happens on a lot of things. I've never had it shown on any of the Samsung phones I've had in the past. My last S8+ and LG OLED TV both use Pixel Shift in order to combat image retention, something that as far as I know, Google have not implemented in the Pixel 2 XL which is what has really brought the issue of image retention to the front of people's minds. As a poster above said, I feel this is like plasmas TVs back in the day. If the user (or even better the manufacturer) implement a way to change the image constantly either using a screensaver or pixel shift, then there will be no issue.

 

[fokmik]

There was image retention issues on the rMBP, there is image retention on my work 2011 iMac. It happens on a lot of things. I've never had it shown on any of the Samsung phones I've had in the past. My last S8+ and LG OLED TV both use Pixel Shift in order to combat image retention, something that as far as I know, Google have not implemented in the Pixel 2 XL which is what has really brought the issue of image retention to the front of people's minds. As a poster above said, I feel this is like plasmas TVs back in the day. If the user (or even better the manufacturer) implement a way to change the image constantly either using a screensaver or pixel shift, then there will be no issue.

sadly oled in tv are a bad choice...the burn in is even uglier than on smartphone

 

[GlenK]

I had to go back due to eye strain and headache with the X. I absolutely loved the X but the pain was just too much and I finally gave it up. Looks like I may be in trouble with future phones!!

 

[tooltalk]

Have had 2 phones with OLED - Samsung Galaxy S5 and now a ZTE Axon 7. No issues with burn in on either. Just great looking displays. I have seen some OLED's with burn in so I know it can happen but I think, much like plasma burn in, it's overblown.

the brightness on the X is much higher than those two.

 

[washburn]

So what's going to happen?

it took ages to get OLED to anywhere decent, which is sad if it won't be used for long

Then mled comes along and now even some advanced LCD screens

OLED for a couple more years or more like a decade before mled takes over?

 

[Henk Poley]

There was image retention issues on the rMBP, there is image retention on my work 2011 iMac. It happens on a lot of things.

The biggest problem with OLED is not image retention. It's that your screen will deteriorate over the years, and the different RGB colours will deteriorate at different speeds. Making it more pink in due time.

 

[Sasparilla]

I've gone back. Not because I had any problem with it, but I also don't think the difference in image quality is really all that noticeable (definitely not living up to the hype). So OLED was not a requirement when I went looking for my next phone, and I ended up with LCD again.

I've used both as well. LCD is just fine (seems better in the sunlight) with me - especially if its cheaper (no need to rush into a world where only Samsung (or maybe Samsung and LG) can make good displays for all smartphones...not a smart idea from a business standpoint).

 

[washburn]

The biggest problem with OLED is not image retention. It's that your screen will deteriorate over the years, and the different RGB colours will deteriorate at different speeds. Making it more pink in due time.

Nah that's been addressed a while ago quite a few breakthroughs in that actually

 

[gpat]

Welcome to 2010.
As a lifelong Android user, I've been avoiding OLED panels for 2 years now, last one was Samsung S6, and preferred IPS since then.
Every once in a while, I see S8 demo units in shops and just thank myself for my decision to stay with IPS.

 

[newdeal]

This was clearly going to be a problem, as it was with plasma screens before. The backlight on any item will deteriorate with time. The only things they can do are make the deterioration take so long that it can't be noticed during the life cycle of the device, or switch to something where the backlight is always on the entire screen at the same time so all areas age equally, which they already have in LED backlit displays. I have no doubt that OLED will be a stepping stone to a better display technology, but likely it will take a decade to get there and in that time Samsung will be raking in the profits

 

[techno-Zen]

Can you guys please report on the X OLED displays causing severe headache issues for many users? There’s an 18 page thread on this

 

[iHack13]

I had to go back due to eye strain and headache with the X. I absolutely loved the X but the pain was just too much and I finally gave it up. Looks like I may be in trouble with future phones!!

This might be due to Samsungs OLED's 240Hz PWM.
Some Laptops have this too when you lower the brightness.

It sucks.

 

[FelixDerKater]

micro-LED is sony thing, not samsung's

https://www.ledinside.com/news/2017...micro_led_to_escape_plight_of_poor_qled_sales

 

[MrX8503]

I love the OLED display on my iPhone X, but it does have some shortcomings compared to LCD. The worst offense of OLED is the color shift and I'm surprised this has been largely ignored for years by reviewers.

Welcome to 2010.
As a lifelong Android user, I've been avoiding OLED panels for 2 years now, last one was Samsung S6, and preferred IPS since then.
Every once in a while, I see S8 demo units in shops and just thank myself for my decision to stay with IPS.

Yep, the demo units clearly illustrate that OLED is not as durable as LCD.

 

[Xgm541]

I've gone back. Not because I had any problem with it, but I also don't think the difference in image quality is really all that noticeable (definitely not living up to the hype). So OLED was not a requirement when I went looking for my next phone, and I ended up with LCD again.

Agreed. Having used LCD in older iphones, moving to a samsung phone with OLED, the difference was big but only initially and only due to the over saturation of colors (not necessarily a good thing). I now have the iphone x and OLED versus LCD differences are less noticeable due to proper calibration by apple.

 

[44267547]

Can you guys please report on the X OLED displays causing severe headache issues for many users? There’s an 18 page thread on this

Actually what you're referring to is eye strain, which is causing the headaches by using the OLED dislay. That's more of a medical concern versus a technology related article. That would be related to effects using OLED, but not directly related Apple or different from any other manufacturer using OLED. I don't believe that topic will make the front page of Macrumors.

 

[teknikal90]

Agreed. Having used LCD in older iphones, moving to a samsung phone with OLED, the difference was big but only initially and only due to the over saturation of colors (not necessarily a good thing). I now have the iphone x and OLED versus LCD differences are less noticeable due to proper calibration by apple.

this.
wife has an iphone 8 plus. i have the x. the difference is barely noticable if at all.