Samsung Electronics is developing a new LED solution that it plans to officially refer to as “Black Seal Technology,” according to newly emerged intellectual property documentation reviewed by Android Headlines. The company filed to secure the trademark in the European Union on Friday, paying extra in order to expedite the process as much as legally possible, with the main implication of that move being that it intends to start using the said term in the immediate future. What exactly Black Seal Technology entails remains to be seen but Samsung described the solution as covering the scope of LED displays of all kinds, including those for television sets and computer monitors. The term may also describe a specific chemical treatment of various materials during production, with or without coating, as per the same source.
No black seals for small screens
The official description attached to the trademark application and the very fact that Samsung is describing the tech as something intended for large panels suggests Black Seal Technology won’t be directly related to any kind of mobile endeavors. Samsung has been almost exclusively reliant on Super AMOLED panels in the smartphone and tablet segments for over half a decade now and while it recently started experimenting with handset LCDs to a degree, its mobile vision is still largely focused on OLED technologies.
Samsung’s interest in small-sized OLED panels was previously in part fueled by the fact that LCDs weren’t compatible with the firm’s curved-edge designs, though that particular technology has now evolved to the point that even highly bendable modules aren’t out of the question. At the same time, its TV efforts operations remain mostly dismissive of OLEDs and are instead still committed to QLED solutions, technologies that sound similar (on purpose) but are fundamentally different. Whereas OLEDs light every pixel independently, QLEDs are in essence still LCD panels that use backlighting and are hence less energy-efficient, though Samsung’s proprietary take on those screens does come with several notable enhancements such as the firm’s use of Quantum Dotes, light-altering nanoparticles triggered at certain frequencies which can allow for unprecedented color reproduction accuracy, at least compared to rivaling LCD products.
But also no coincidences
One big disadvantage of LCDs is that they’re unable to deliver true blacks like OLEDs can seeing how they cannot avoid lighting up individual pixels. The Black Seal Technology Samsung is presently developing might be something meant to address that issue, “sealing” eligible pixels in order to avoid the so-called light bleeding effect. The timing of the company’s latest trademark filing may not be a coincidence given how Samsung already confirmed it will be unveiling two new QLED TV models at the next edition of Consumer Electronics Show which is kicking off in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Tuesday. The devices in question will be called The Serif and The Frame, with both being promised to deliver a wide variety of improvements, including darker blacks.
While the firm’s recent efforts in the segment were largely oriented toward ultra-premium performance, Samsung is now placing a larger focus on making its TVs more capable at fitting into a wide variety of contemporary households and serving as the central piece of one’s connected lifestyle. As a result, the new smart TVs from the South Korean tech giant will feature a minimalist aesthetic and versatile constructions, as well as additional sensors and other features meant to not just automate many of their operations but also help them operate as an art gallery of sorts when they’re not in direct use, featuring slideshows of various works meant to blend into one’s home environment.
A big year for Samsung
While Samsung‘s TV business has been doing rather well in recent years, its overall consumer electronics operations took a hit in 2018 due to a loss in mobile momentum that the company will now be seeking to regain moving forward. It’s primarily aiming to do so with a broad range of innovations such as unprecedented screen-to-body ratios, ultrasonic fingerprint readers, and foldable screens. Most of those products aren’t likely to make an appearance at CES and are instead expected to be launched at Mobile World Congress 2019 which is scheduled to open its doors to the Barcelona public on February 25.