The first-ever Quantum Dot TV prototype from Samsung Display will be delivered to Samsung Electronics in late spring, according to a new report from the Far East. Dubbed QD-OLED, the technology has yet to be implemented into a consumer-level device. That state of affairs does not necessarily stem from any technical limitations, either.
Instead, Samsung Electronics and Samsung Display have reportedly been at odds regarding the future of television sets for some time now. And it wasn't until recently that the former was willing to even entertain the idea of committing to QD-OLED panels. The other alternative would be to pursue the so-called QNED solutions, short for “quantum nano-emitting diodes/nanorods”.
Quantum-what now?
Assuming a lesson in supramolecular chemistry is not what you're here for, what you need to know is that Samsung Electronics is scheduled to receive the final QD-OLED prototype for technical testing and market evaluation this June, as South Korean sources now claim.
Despite the logistical nightmare that 2020 turned out to be, the timeline for the potential release of Samsung's first QD-OLED TVs perfectly matches the initial industry watcher projections from last year. This does not mean we'll necessarily see consumer-grade QD-OLED smart TVs from Samsung in Q3 2021, but it certainly makes it more likely.
Samsung Display, for its part, is currently focused on perfecting its manufacturing processes and bolstering the still-meager yields. The capacity of its flagship Q1 factory line –located in Asan, South Korea– presently hovers around 30,000 panels per month. In the meantime, LCD production continues, a full decade from the height of its plasma wars.
