LG Says OLED Sales are Down, May Offer an OLED TV Sized Smaller than 42-Inches

(December 3, 2023) Wrapping up the week, we have several pieces of news pertaining to LG Electronics and its OLED TV business. As initially reported by South Korea's news outlet The Elec, LG says OLED sales are "sensitive to consumer income" and that 2023's economic slowdown combined with geopolitical issues in Europe will result in a decline in sales for the year. LG's subsidiary, LG Display, which manufactures OLED panels used by LG, Sony, Panasonic, Philips, and others, predicts it will end 2023 by manufacturing nearly 1.8 million fewer large OLED panels compared to last year's 6.8 million units. During Q3 of 2023, panels for TVs accounted for roughly 23% of LG Display's overall revenues; panels made for computers and mobile devices account for most of the company's income.

Despite fewer OLED TV sales, year-on-year profits for LG Electronics are expected to increase, primarily due to financial successes in its home appliance and vehicle solution businesses.

According to Twice, LG Display has also confirmed that it will soon offer 32, 34, and 39" OLED panels. While these sizes will likely find their way to monitors, it's not unreasonable to assume the 32" version could be used in TVs. LG Electronics and other manufacturers that use LG Display OLED panels currently do not offer a TV model sized smaller than 42". It's worth noting that LG Display's chief rival, Samsung Display, currently makes a 34" quantum dot OLED panel.

Twice says LG Display hasn't revealed a manufacturing timeline but suggests that these new smaller panel sizes might be shown at CES 2024.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Interesting strategy. I don't think people want a smaller TV, I think they want a smaller price tag, and people in the market for a 32 or 34 inch TV are likely not the market that would pay the OLED premium pricing. Perhaps their data shows this could lead to lowering production costs and enable lower price points across the line, but it's a strange tactic at first glance.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I would buy a small OLED for our home gym. We currently have an older Vizio LCD in there... the size is perfect, but the LCD image is

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Interesting. I guess I wouldn't pay the premium for something not used for critical viewing. I haven't even paid the premium for our living room TV, which is a QLED, and a disappointing QLED at that, with a lot of edge lighting discoloration around the edges. But for what we use it for, I can put up with it.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I get that -

In our gym, the biggest frustration is viewing angles. I feel like I’m constantly adjust the screen. Plus, if I’m being honest, I like to be spoiled :-)

 

[austinblackboxspace]

I would buy a small OLED for our home gym. We currently have an older Vizio LCD in there... the size is perfect, but the LCD image is

For our remodel we wouldn't mind maybe having a medium-sized screen in our Peloton room just for the Guild Tracking. For some odd reason, our bike + and row don't have this option with the built-in cams. You must have a separate TV or monitor to use it. Any other use with a screen in that space would just be a distraction. M-F when I'm at the campus Gregory Gym to swim laps etc., in the weight and boxing rooms they now have these crazy new escape racks with Mars screens on every unit. Truly nuts. I would rather just have one of the Gregory personal trainers. I need to be yelled at during every exercise I do.