Future of OLED screens

While the gradual emergence of big screen Organic LED (OLED) displays is giving consumers with big budgets something to invest in at the moment, it seems that this high end technology will remain the choice of a small minority of buyers for years to come.

This is according to an article in PC Advisor, which points to various statistics about the predicted future of the display market.

In 2013, OLED displays are likely to make up just one per cent of units sold, while by 2017, this will only have reached nine per cent saturation.

On the other hand, the 35 per cent stake of the market, which is attributable to screens that incorporate LCD panels and LED backlighting solutions today, will grow to 75 per cent within five years, which suggests that this is the real area to keep under close watch.

Analysts point out that the real driving force behind the display market at the moment is price rather than picture quality or screen performance.

Buyers are usually looking for a good value display first, only considering its features once they have found options that actually fit in with their budgets.

Some are citing this as a potential issue which could hamper Apple’s proposed entry into the LED display market, later this year.

If Apple is able to offer excellent picture quality and performance, but does so at a price point which is out of reach for most consumers, then it will face issues.

The iPhone and the iPad have become popular because Apple has been able to make them relatively affordable or, in the case of the former, bundle them with network-subsidised contracts, to offset the upfront costs.

It will have a tough time replicating this with its LED backlit TVs, while firms like Samsung and LG will only appeal to enthusiasts with their OLED options.