At this year’s Global Display Tech-Ecosystem Conference (DTC), TCL China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. (TCL CSOT), a global leader in advanced display technologies and a subsidiary of TCL Technology (000100.SZ), took to the stage to highlight some major breakthroughs it’s making in the world of displays. At the heart of its innovations are major advancements in Inkjet-printed OLED displays (IJP OLED), which it has refined to a high degree, helping it produce a wide range of world-first designs.
Breakthrough IJP OLED products from TCL CSOT
One such display was its 5.65-inch Real Stripe RGB OLED MB Display, the world’s first smartphone display featuring a Real Stripe RGB OLED pixel architecture. This IJP OLED display achieves a breakthrough resolution of 390 PPI, with a visually equivalent diamond-like pixel arrangement reaching 490 PPI, surpassing current mainstream flagship devices.
Going beyond concept to mass production
While a tech showcase such as DTC can be awesome for seeing some cutting-edge technologies and concept products, TCL CSOT isn’t just demonstrating what its technology can do. It’s ready to bring this technology into mass production. TCL CSOT has been investing in IJP OLED R&D for over a decade. In November 2024, the company began mass production and customer shipments of IJP OLED at its ‘t12’ production line. This October, the company commenced construction of the world’s first 8.6-generation IJP OLED production line called ‘t8’, focusing on high-end displays for tablets, laptops, and monitors.
“Our t8 production line marks a breakthrough for the global display industry, showcasing technological capabilities and market potential in the high-generation AMOLED sector,” said Jun Zhao, Senior Vice President of TCL Technology and CEO of TCL CSOT. “By bringing together the entire value chain, from foundational materials to final product assembly, we are building a fully integrated, end-to-end industrial cluster designed to compete on a global scale.”
TCL CSOT is aiming for global, large-scale manufacturing with its t8 production line by late 2027.
TCL CSOT’s production line and advancements in IJP OLED have many benefits down the line for consumers. The production line is run efficiently, with high material utilization, minimizing waste. And the displays themselves provide superior image quality, consume less power, and emit less blue light.
Demonstrating TCL CSOT’s “APEX” value framework
TCL CSOT’s efforts are a part of its “APEX” value framework. With this framework, TCL CSOT aims to deliver the following values: “Amazing display experience,” “Protective of eye health,” “Eco-friendly to build and use,” and “Unlimited imaginative potential.”
TCL CSOT offers an amazing display experience, with displays that offer sharp images, vivid color, and unique footprints, such as the world's sharpest image quality MLED Display (163") announced at DTC. The company has incorporated low-blue-light and anti-flicker technologies into its displays, such as the world's first Natural Light Switchable MNT Display (27"), to avoid eye strain.
The company’s focus on the environment is two-fold. The manufacturing process of its advanced displays uses less energy and material, and it uses that material efficiently. Its displays also consume little energy. It has produced a series of laptop-sized displays, such as the world's first 0.1Hz NB Display (14"), that run smoothly when needed but drop as low as 0.1Hz while displaying static content for extreme power savings. Its 14.5-inch world's first Milliwatt-Class NB Display uses just one watt of power while running at 150 nits. TCL CSOT also developed displays, such as the world's first Partitioned Frequency Division OLED Tablet Display (13.2"), which supports adaptive refresh rates from 1 Hz to 120 Hz, dynamically adjusting to content demands to reduce power consumption by 15 – 25% while maintaining smooth motion, sharp detail, and lifelike visuals.
TCL CSOT is also imaging new form factors. It has developed a 0.28-inch world's highest-res Single-Chip Full-Color Si-Micro LED Display that can be fitted into AR and VR glasses to provide a sharp, low-power display in a compact footprint. For XR devices, the company developed a 2.56-inch world's Highest-PPI Real RGB G-OLED Display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,512 PPI fidelity.
AI in the loop
TCL CSOT’s display advancements are both empowered by AI and ready to empower AI in turn. TCL CSOT has created over 130 AI algorithms that help it automate production at factories and optimize development for great efficiency. It also relies on AI to optimize its displays, handling things like automatic environmental adjustment to ensure displays look great or conserve power in different environments.
TCL CSOT is also prepared to provide compact, high-quality displays for AI glasses, which have largely been limited to voice only. This would enable true augmented reality capabilities for AI glasses.
Looking to the future and envisioning the company’s role in it, Zhao said:
“We are entering a transformative era where display innovation must serve both people and the planet. Through our advanced display technology brand, APEX, TCL CSOT is building a comprehensive display ecosystem that embodies technological leadership. We deliver ‘great screens’ to customers and consumers worldwide while contributing to a sustainable future. By integrating AI technology, we make every screen a vital hub that seamlessly connects the digital and physical worlds in the AI era.”