The transaction includes LGD CA, which operated the Guangzhou-based 8.5-generation LCD production line, and LGD GZ, which managed module assembly. TCL said the total deal value stands at 11.088 billion yuan ($1.55 billion), with the entire amount already paid to LG Display.

The agreement between TCL and LG Display was first reached in September 2024. LG Display held an 80% stake in the Guangzhou LCD plant at the time, while it fully owned the module factory. By April 2025, LG Display had already announced the completion of the Guangzhou factory sale. TCL’s latest statement serves as the official confirmation under Chinese regulatory procedures.

Following the acquisition, the Guangzhou factory was renamed T11. TCL also confirmed that financial data from both facilities had already been included in its second-quarter earnings report. The deal marks LG Display’s official withdrawal from LCD manufacturing operations in mainland China.

TCL now expands its control over mid-to-large-size LCD panel production, strengthening its position in the global display market. While LG Display and other rivals have shifted focus toward OLED and high-end display technologies, TCL continues to invest in LCD production capacity to serve mainstream demand in televisions, monitors, and commercial displays.

This acquisition allows TCL CSOT to scale production while maintaining competitive pricing. The company aims to grow its market share in a segment that still accounts for a large portion of global panel shipments. With LG Display’s exit, TCL gains additional manufacturing resources and greater leverage in the supply chain.

In related news, China’s TV market continued to shrink in the third quarter, with shipments falling by 10.4% and deeper declines expected in the fourth quarter.

(Source)

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That is not just a financial footnote. It is a warning shot to RGB Mini LED, the latest LCD-based tech trying to rival OLED on contrast and brightness. It also signals a potentially massive change in how high-end TVs are priced, marketed, and adopted in the next wave of living room upgrades.

OLED’s Price Collapse Isn’t Random

This steep drop is no accident. LG Display, the dominant supplier of large OLED TV panels, is systematically reworking its DDI (display driver IC) architecture to improve output efficiency. While material costs and scale improvements play their role, the bigger shift is that OLED is no longer the exotic, high-cost panel it was when LG introduced its first OLED TVs over a decade ago.

What we are seeing is the tech maturing at scale. Production bottlenecks, yields, and backend integration have reached a point of steady optimization. In short, OLED’s premium tax is eroding.

Cheaper Panels, Cheaper TVs

Lower upstream costs mean downstream brands, whether it is LG Electronics, Sony, or even budget disruptors like TCL, have more room to play with pricing. With OLED panels now at a much more palatable cost base, brands can aggressively push mid-premium and even upper mid-range OLED models without bleeding margin.

This accelerates the trickle-down of OLED tech into living rooms that would have otherwise defaulted to high-end LCD or QLED. We are talking about mainstream 65-inch TVs that look like flagship models from just two or three years ago, but without the eye-watering price.

RGB Mini LED Has Work to Do

On the other side of the fence, RGB Mini LED is still finding its rhythm. While it delivers stunning brightness and refined backlight control, it remains a newer technology with more complex manufacturing and quality control overhead. Component tuning, consistency in dimming zones, and supply chain optimization are still very much in progress.

This does not mean Mini LED is falling behind. It still outperforms OLED in raw brightness and is often a better pick in bright-room environments. But the value calculus is shifting fast. OLED now has momentum, scale, and price on its side.

The Takeaway

For years, OLED held the crown for picture quality, but its price kept it out of reach for most buyers. That is changing quickly. By 2026, OLED may no longer be the premium pick. It may become the default choice. Unless RGB Mini LED can compress its cost curve at a similar pace, OLED’s renaissance could turn into total dominance.

In related news, LG Display CEO Jeong Cheol-dong also said LCD panels need 1.5 million dimming zones to match OLED, highlighting OLED’s superior contrast and precision. He added that LG is cautiously evaluating new OLED lines while investing in Micro LED and other next-gen display technologies.

(Source, Via)

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Jeong explained that the most advanced mass-produced LCD technology today is RGB Mini LED. This type of display can support local dimming with tens of thousands of zones. However, he stated that to reach OLED-level picture quality, LCD panels would need at least 1.5 million dimming zones, about 100 times more than the current standard.

OLED panels deliver superior contrast and precise lighting control because each pixel can emit light independently. LCD panels rely on backlighting and require increasingly complex dimming techniques to approach the same level of performance. Jeong’s estimate reflects the technical limitations that continue to separate the two display technologies.

Jeong also spoke about LG Display’s plans for OLED manufacturing. He said the company is still evaluating whether to build a G8.6 OLED production line. Other companies, including Samsung Display, BOE, TCL CSOT, and Visionox, have already announced or started construction on similar facilities. LG Display appears to be taking a more cautious approach.

In addition to OLED, LG Display is investing in the development of Micro LED and other next-generation display technologies. Jeong noted that some of these technologies are already close to reaching commercialization and mass production stages.

His comments suggest that while LCD continues to evolve, OLED remains the benchmark for high-end visual performance. The industry is also preparing for a possible transition to Micro LED, which promises even greater brightness, durability, and modular design, though it still faces manufacturing challenges.

In related news, TCL CSOT is confirmed as the exclusive supplier of both displays for the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max, while TCL also introduced the Tab 8 NxtPaper 5G tablet with an eye-friendly display and Android 15, priced at $199.

(Via)

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Printed OLED works by depositing dissolved OLED materials onto a substrate using a process similar to inkjet printing. The material dries into a pixel-forming film without needing high-vacuum conditions. According to public data, this method can achieve up to 90% material utilization. In comparison, traditional vapor-deposited OLED requires fine metal masks and high vacuum chambers, resulting in only about 30% material usage and higher manufacturing costs.

The printed OLED process supports small-batch and irregularly shaped panels, giving manufacturers more flexibility. This feature aligns well with AI-driven hardware products that often demand unique designs and low-volume production during early development stages. Since printed OLED does not require new metal masks for each design change, companies can modify screen layouts through print software updates, reducing time and costs.

TCL has already entered the commercialization phase. In late 2024, the company began mass production of its first printed OLED display, a 21.6-inch panel used in medical equipment. TCL later expanded capacity at its G5.5 line and improved efficiency and quality. The upcoming 8.6-generation line is expected to begin production by 2027.

Analysts expect AI breakthroughs to drive hardware innovation across smartphones, PCs, and vehicles. They believe printed OLED’s cost advantages and flexible manufacturing will play a key role in this shift. TCL’s push into printed OLED positions it to benefit from the growing demand for advanced displays in the AI era.

In related news, TCL CSOT is confirmed as the exclusive supplier of both displays for the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max, while TCL also introduced the Tab 8 NxtPaper 5G tablet with an eye-friendly display and Android 15, priced at $199.

(Via)

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As of April 2025, only one major non-Chinese manufacturer remains in the large-size LCD TV panel business: Sharp’s SDP Gen 10.5 plant in Guangzhou, a Japanese outpost surrounded by an industry now dominated by China. Everywhere else, from fabrication to shipping, it’s Chinese panel makers setting the pace.

That shift is backed by numbers. Global shipments of large LCD TV panels fell to 18.7 million units in April, an 11.3 percent drop year-on-year and the lowest in over a year. But the distribution of those panels tells a clearer story. Chinese manufacturers, including those from mainland China and Taiwan, now account for more than 95 percent of global output.

Mainland China alone covered a commanding 71.1 percent of shipments last month, up significantly from last year. It is a surge not just in volume but in influence. TCL CSOT, BOE, CHOT, and HKC are now effectively steering the LCD panel market, from price setting to supply negotiations with global TV brands.

Even Taiwan’s legacy players are holding ground. Innolux and AUO combined to grab 24.5 percent of the market in April, signaling a resurgence that’s notable, though still dwarfed by mainland giants.

As for Sharp, it is now the lone foreign holdout, a relic of a time when Japan led the panel race. With a shrinking 4.4 percent market share, even that position looks increasingly fragile. If the current trend holds, the LCD panel business could soon be entirely operated by Chinese stakeholders, leaving little room for competition and even less for geopolitical neutrality in the global TV supply chain.

In related news, TCL has launched the Q6C Premium QD-Mini LED TV series in India, while the C7K QD-Mini LED TV is set to debut soon in the Philippines.

(Via)

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LG Display unlocks blue PHOLED tech

Historically, blue OLEDs have been a nightmare for engineers. They burn out faster, drain more power, and are notoriously difficult to stabilize due to their high-energy, short-wavelength emissions. While red and green phosphorescent OLEDs have long been in commercial use, blue has stubbornly remained fluorescent, offering lower efficiency and higher power demands.

Now LG Display, in collaboration with Universal Display Corporation (UDC), has cracked the code. The company’s new hybrid Tandem OLED stack places a blue fluorescent emitter below a blue phosphorescent one. The result is a display that cuts power consumption by about 15 percent without sacrificing lifespan, achieving a rare balance of efficiency and stability that has eluded OLED researchers for years.

LG’s dual-stack approach is not just a technical workaround, it is a manufacturing-ready solution. The company has already verified its viability on real production lines and filed patents in both South Korea and the United States. A prototype will debut at SID Display Week 2025 in San Jose, with small and mid-size panels aimed at smartphones, tablets, and eventually AI PCs and AR/VR devices.

For years, insiders expected Samsung to win this race, with rumors swirling around a debut in the Galaxy Z Fold 7. But LG got there first, and this might be the OLED revolution that makes your next screen brighter, thinner, and far more efficient.

While LG Display breaks new ground in OLED science, its sibling company LG Electronics is quietly leaning on TCL to stay competitive. LG’s latest QNED evo TVs, aimed at reclaiming lost ground from Samsung and Hisense, are built using MiniLED panels manufactured by TCL, the very rival that’s rapidly expanding its global footprint. In fact, after LG sold its final LCD factory to TCL, much of its new panel supply is now sourced straight from China.

(Source)

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After selling off its final LCD factories to TCL, LG is now sourcing its QNED evo lineup directly from China. The irony cuts deep: the same MiniLED tech that’s fueling TCL’s rise is now at the core of LG’s comeback attempt. Even more complicated, LG’s imported QNED TVs land in a U.S. market increasingly hostile to Chinese manufacturing, thanks to mounting tariffs.

LG claims the new QNED series offers richer, more realistic colors across light and dark environments. But unlike traditional QLEDs, the company is touting its proprietary “Dynamic QNED Colour” engine, a different path from the quantum dot technology dominating elsewhere.

Powering the experience is LG’s in-house Alpha AI Processor 3 and WebOS. But beyond sharper images and curated recommendations, there’s a much larger play happening quietly in the background: data collection. LG has admitted to raking in over $1.5 billion last year by selling user data harvested through its smart TVs, including browsing habits, viewing preferences, and even voice profiles through AI Voice ID.

Tightly integrated AI features like AI Concierge, AI Picture Pro, and AI Search further deepen the company’s behavioral tracking. Combined with Microsoft’s Copilot integration and a web of cloud-based analytics, LG’s televisions are becoming potent data hubs disguised as entertainment centers.

And if you think you can easily opt out? LG’s warranty terms suggest otherwise. Turning off tracking isn’t just hard, it’s almost impossible without crippling the TV’s smart features.

Meanwhile, TCL Electronics just reported an 11.4 percent rise in Q1 2025 TV shipments and a 22.3 percent surge in sales revenue, driven by strong demand for larger and MiniLED TVs. The company is expanding its premium footprint globally, even as North American shipments saw a slight dip.

(Via)

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