It looks like the TV giants are gearing up to bring super screens to the masses, as a new report reveals that Samsung Electronic is partnering with various microLED suppliers.
According to, the less than reliable, Digitimes, Samsung has plans to team up with Epistar for production on new microLED TVs. The latter company will provide a solid supply of micro LED chips to Samsung, which are a key component in the new televisions.
If the reports and rumours are correct, then we could see the new TVs in the second half of 2020.
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Epistar probably won’t be the sole supplier for this new project. It’s actually a shareholder in a company called PlayNitride, which already provides a type of micro LED to Samsung. As such, it’s expected there will be some support and crossover between the two companies, rather than Epistar dominating the supply chain.
Samsung debuted its microLED screens back in 2018 at CES – but it was the big 2020 reveal that had most people flabbergasted. Writing about the experience at the time, our reporter said: “The 8K version of ‘The Wall’ Samsung unveiled at CES 2020 might well be the single most jaw-dropping screen I’ve ever seen at any CES.”
Pretty good then. Crucially, though, the company also revealed a smaller 75-inch microLED screen, which garnered a lot of excitement. Mainly because it gave us our first inkling that we might finally get a high-quality TV at a reasonable price.
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We’ve already seen stunning images delivered by OLED and QLED TVs, but these screens always came with a hefty price tag. This is in large part because of the painfully difficult manufacturing process, which pushes up the price.
Building microLED TVs is comparatively easy – so most people are hoping that Samsung’s new range will actually be vaguely affordable. Although we’d expect to see a full range of TVs from the company, with some mind-blowingly expensive options too.
Samsung relied on Sanan Optoelectronics to build quasi micro LED chips for its famous Wall display. It’s expected we’ll see a future team-up between these two companies, as Sanan has reportedly developed and finessed an innovative 30- x 30-micron micro LED chip.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.