If there ever were a battle of tech companies, it would have to be the two South Korean giants – Samsung and LG. Whether it concerns smartphones, appliances, or large HDTVs, these two companies it seems may never agree on which makes the best products. At CES there is a battle going on concerning the new quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) technology for TVs that Samsung is touting as better than the older organic light-emitting diode (OLED) that LG is still using. LG Display Vice Chairman Han Sang-beom said, “The only change in Samsung Electronics’ new product and previous one is luminance. In quantum dot, luminance can vary according to backlight. It is true that Samsung improved the efficiency of quantum dot, but it is a very small part of it. It is still a LCD panel.”
Han went on to explain that no comparison is necessary since QLED is not a self-light-emitting device whereas OLED is self-emissive. He also gave credit to the QLED color reproduction range but said that LG’s IPS Nano technology could also expand the color range. LG will expand and double their production of large OLED, as well as their medium and small OLED (P-OLED) business in 2017 versus 2016. They also expect to expand the premium LCD market for business and auto applications. LG unveiled a new technology called Crystal Sound OLED (CSO) for the first time. LG actually built a sound system inside an OLED panel. They claim the sound will be remarkable when compared to using external speakers that only produce reflective sound. They had a 55-inch and 65-inch CSO UHD TVs as an example of what they can do and the sound they can produce.
The battle will continue between Samsung and LG as each tries to develop new technology to outdo one another. LG is reporting to post its first quarterly operating loss in six years for Q4 2016. They had weaker appliance sales – one of their strongest profit areas – and slow smartphone sales with their LG G5’s lack of popularity. The intense competition this holiday season forced them to spend more in advertising. Even with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 issues, it looks like they will still show a profit for 2016. Samsung has they hands in more businesses than LG, such as foundries for making chips, construction, insurance, and so on. A large screen TV, a smartphone, and appliances are products that are now commonplace in most US homes, so these two companies will battle in those areas the most.