Expect more 48-inch OLED TVs this year, as LG ramps up production
The compact OLED TV size is going places
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Anyone excited by the prospect of48-inch OLED TVs, but who’s been dismayed by the small number of televisions actually available in the compact size, shouldn’t have to sulk much longer.
LGDisplay looks to be drastically ramping up its production of 48-inchOLEDpanels, which indicates we could see a lot more TVs andTV brandsmake use of it in the coming year.
The website for South Korean daily newspaperChosun Ilbobroke the news, writing that “LG Display will start producing panels by newly operating a 48-inchOLED TVline in Paju from next month” that exclusively produces the smaller panel size (viaOLED-info). The report goes on to predict that the 220,000 units made by LG last year could go up to “1 million units this year”.
The 48-inchOLEDsize was a new invention for 2020, and it only came to a select number of OLED TVs, such as theLG CX,Sony A9S, andPhilips OLED+935. This time, though, you can expect to see it become a lot more widespread – especially as there are even new sizes LG Display is keen to trial on the mass market.
The news comes off the back of LG Electronics' 2021 TV rangestarting to roll out worldwide, with new entry-level models like the LG B1 andLG A1 OLEDs set to make the technology more accessible than ever. We can only hope the increased production lowers the cost of manufacture for 48-inch panels, in order to fix theimbalanced pricingfrom last year’sLG TVs.
Playing the market
It’s very possible that the success of the 48-inch size has something to do with the launch of the next-genPS5andXbox Series Xconsoles – with families or gamers with limited space in their home looking to buy more compact televisions that don’t compromise on quality.
We usually see thebest TVspecifications and features saved for the largest screens, like these75-inch 4K TVs, but single-player gaming sessions don’t need a screen that’s visible to a room of people, and it can make a lot more sense to invest in a more manageable TV size for a bedroom set orsecond screen.
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Henry is a freelance technology journalist, and former News & Features Editor for TechRadar, where he specialized in home entertainment gadgets such as TVs, projectors, soundbars, and smart speakers. Other bylines include Edge, T3, iMore, GamesRadar, NBC News, Healthline, and The Times.
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