Can't fit an enormous OLED TV in your living room? It looks like LG's smaller 48-inch OLED panel could be launching as soon as next year.
We reported back in March that LG was planning a smaller, more compact OLED model to compete with mid-range LCD TVs, but still hadn't heard much in terms of when that might be.
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On a press tour in China however, LG vice president Oh Chang-ho confirmed that the 48-inch size was planned for release at some point in 2020 (via Korean newspaper The Elec).
Oh Chang-ho said: “It’s a strategy to solidify our footing in the high-end TV market, while continuing to have presence in the standard and premium segments."
OLED is increasingly being embraced as the TV technology of the moment, with the likes of LG, Sony, Philips and Hisense all using OLED panels for their premium televisions. But if you want an OLED TV that can fit into smaller living rooms or even bedrooms, you can't currently buy one that's smaller than 55 inches.
Gearing up
OLED TV production is still quite limited compared to LCDs, given how new the technology is to the market, with production lines only currently set up for 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch, and recently even 88-inch models (the LG 8K OLED).
It's also technically difficult to cram all those 4K pixels into a smaller OLED panel, with a 91.8 pixel density (pixels per inch) needed for a 48-inch panel.
Downsizing to a 48-inch model may not seem like a huge jump for viewers, but it offers a smaller form factor for those who can't squeeze a 55-inch TV into their homes – and will also offer a cheaper entry point to OLED than LG's current 'budget' option, the £1,199 / $1,499 / AU$2,999 LG B8 OLED.
We'll keep you updated as soon as we have an idea of pricing, but if the new set manages to undercut the £1,000 / $1,000 mark, we could have a real winner on our hands.
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Via FlatpanelsHD
