Samsung Display's mobile panels might become fully phosphorescent in the second half of 2025. PHOLED (Phosphorescent OLED), not to be confused with POLED (Plastic OLED), is a type of material Samsung Display's AMOLED panels already use for green and red pixels.
In contrast, the company's AMOLED displays use blue fluorescent materials rather than a blue phosphorescent solution. Nevertheless, the transition to blue PHOLED might happen in the second half of 2025.
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Initially, industry watchers predicted that Samsung Display would apply blue phosphorescent materials to foldable displays in mid-2024. However, according to UBI Research (via The Elec), “the development of the blue phosphorescent material does not seem to be going smoothly.”
H2 2025 is the new target, but whether or not foldable phones will be the first to use blue PHOLED is unclear. In theory, Galaxy foldable phones, like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, might be the first to benefit from this upgraded PHOLED technology. However, there are some durability concerns that might prevent Samsung from using PHOLED for mainstream devices.
What are the benefits of PHOLED?
The current blue fluorescent solution Samsung Display uses for AMOLED has an internal luminous efficiency of 25%, whereas the company's red and green PHOLEDs have an efficiency of 100%. By replacing the blue fluorescent OLEDs with PHOLEDs, Samsung Display can reduce overall power consumption.
On the flip side, blue PHOLED materials currently in development are said to have a lifespan of 55% compared to blue fluorescent materials.
Because of this durability concern, UBI Research Deputy Director Daejong Yoon says the popular opinion “as a result of inquiring with companies developing blue materials” is that Samsung Display's first blue PHOLED application might not become mainstream. Whether or not 2025 foldable Galaxy phones are still in the cards to adopt blue PHOLED materials is unclear.
Regardless, UBI Research believes Samsung Display will push onward with the development of blue PHOLED, as it would be a monumental achievement for the company to be the world's first manufacturer to have the capacity to mass-produce AMOLED panels with blue phosphorescent pixels.
