Samsung Quickens Production Pace for 7th Generation OLED; LG Tries to Catch up by Starting Mass Production of 6th Generation OLED Panels

It seems like Samsung doesn't want its competitors to get any closer to its niche as Samsung quickens its pace to produce the 7th generation OLED panels. This news comes right on the heels of LG announcing that it is starting mass production of the 6th generation OLED panels.

According to The Investor, the noted analyst Yi Choon-hoon is of the opinion that Samsung's A4 production line is going to be re-tasked to produce the 7th generation OLED panels. The production of the 7th generation OLED panels would start no later the second quarter of 2018. Yi Choon-hoon, also the CEO of the UBI Research firm, suggests that Samsung is going ahead with the production of the 7th generation OLED panels before its competitors, such as LG, can catch up.

Incidentally, LG announced its plans to start production of the 6th Generation OLED Panels starting in the third quarter of 2017. In essence, LG has issued a challenge to Samsung to vie for the spot as the largest OLED panel for mobile device manufacturer. Currently, Samsung dominates the OLED panels manufacturing industry as it supplies, via Samsung Display, the majority of the OLED panels for current smartphones in the market.

To supplant Samsung, Android Authority reports that LG has invested US$ 1.75 billion for a 6th generation P-OLED production line which will become operational next year. The new production line is capable of producing 15,000 units per month. With the demand for OLED panels still increasing, and with Samsung starting its production of the 7th generation OLED panels, LG provides the tech industry another viable option for obtaining OLED panels.

While it is, at the moment, a tall order for LG to overtake Samsung, the relatively smaller tech firm has a chance to inch closer and reduce the gap between them and Samsung. Rumors have it that LG could sign a deal with Apple Inc. to supply the latter its OLED panels. That said, most tech pundits still think that Samsung has the inside track to be the foremost Apple Inc. supplier for an Apple device reportedly set for release in late 2017.

While LG might successfully shorten the gap between them and Samsung, the latter has firmly established itself as the dominant OLED panel supplier as evidenced by the alleged 7th generation OLED production line Still, having a competition may yield more development in this area as both Korean tech giants try to one-up each other. And this competition could only lead to rapid improvement with regards to OLED panel production.