Unit cost for 55″ OLED TV panels has dropped 55% since their debut in early 2015, according to new data released by IHS Markit.
The closing of the cost gap between OLED and LCD will support the expansion of OLED TVs, according to the report. The total manufacturing cost of a 55″ Ultra HD OLED TV panel was calculated at $582 per unit at the end of the second quarter of 2017, and is expected to drop by a further $242 by the first quarter of 2021.
The 55″ LG B6 OLED Ultra HD Smart TV.
Back in the first quarter of 2015, the cost of an OLED TV panel was 4.3 times that of its LCD equivalent. The new figures now place OLED at 2.5 times more expensive than LCD. A further reduction to 1.8 times is predicted—a timeframe for this wasn’t specified in the report, but IHS probably means by the year 2021, along with its other projections.
However, IHS Markit has pointed out that material costs are not the only factor in play here, saying, “…production yield, utilization rate, depreciation expenses and substrate size, do actually matter”.
