LG To Use OLED Displays For All Flagships Starting With The V30

LG Electronics is reportedly planning to use OLED displays for its next major smartphone later this year. The smartphone in question is believed to be the LG V30, the successor to last year’s V20.

The LG V30 is likely to come with an OLED display and will arrive sometime in September, according to South Korean site The Investor. The report also claims that the successor to the LG G6, which will presumably be called the G7, will also arrive with an OLED display in 2018.

This news isn’t such a surprise since it was already previously reported that LG Display, LG Electronics’ display division, was ramping up to mass produce curved OLED panels this year. LG has always been a big supplier of OLED displays, but those were only reserved for its TVs. OLED displays on smartphones has always been more synonymous to Samsung, and perhaps LG wants to change that, as pointed out by Android Authority.

LG’s V-series of Android smartphones has always offered features for users who are more creatively inclined especially with the LG V20 from last year. The V20 featured dual cameras on the back and featured software for taking creative photos.

The LG V30 is expected to follow in the steps of the V20, while also being equipped with a new OLED display. The addition of the OLED display might also become a significant differentiator between the V30 and the LG G6, which was just released last month, as pointed out by The Verge. The OLED screen technology is also a crucial feature that’s needed for Google’s Daydream virtual reality platform.

This won’t actually be the first time that LG used OLED for its Android smartphones. The company previously used the screen technology for the LG G Flex back in 2013. Unfortunately, the handset wasn’t well-received by customers.

Samsung has been using OLED displays on its Android smartphones for years now, and it has been proven to provide more vivid colors and deeper blacks than LCDs. Samsung Display currently dominated the OLED market by more than 95 precent, while Samsung uses the display technology for almost 70 percent of its smartphones.

LG’s move to using OLED displays is also something that Apple is doing for this year’s iPhone 8. In fact, Apple has already tasked Samsung Display to manufacture OLED panels for the iPhone 8. Apple chose Samsung as its OLED display manufacturer since it looks like it’s the only company that may be able to keep up with demands. Meanwhile, the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus are expected to still use LCDs panels this year.

Unlike Apple, LG will be relying on its sister company LG Display as its OLED provider. LG is expected to start OLED production this July.

“Most OLED screens produced at LG Display's Gumi E5 plant in the second half will be used for its sister firm LG Electronics’ smartphones starting with the V30,” an anonymous source told The Investor. “Some of the OLED production will be supplied to Chinese phone makers who are hoping to catch up with front-runners such as Samsung and Apple.”