LG OLED TV launch suggests big price drop from last year’s sets
Launch pricing in South Korea suggests a 20% reduction over last year
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A new range ofLGOLED TVsare starting to launch worldwide, and it looks like pricing could be very competitive compared to last year’s sets.
Korea JoongAng Dailyreports that brand newOLEDTVs like theLG G1 Gallery SeriesandC1 OLEDare selling for as much as 20% less than the launch prices of their 2020 predecessors (theLG GXandCX OLED, respectively).
That’s a massive discount considering we only expect the processing and overall picture performance to increase over last year’s models, especially with the new OLED evo panel technology supposedly upping the brightness on the LG G1.
Reporter Park Eun-jee writes that the pricing strategy is “a move aimed at boosting appeal to mass consumers.” This lines up with what we know of LG’s 2021 range, with its new entry-levelA1 OLEDmodel showing a clear intention to target lower price points and get itsLG TVsin the homes of more consumers.
This is only in South Korea, LG’s homeland, but it does signal possibly pricing strategies globally. So what could new 2021 models actually cost elsewhere?
When the price is right
Last year’s GX Gallery Series OLED retailed at $3,499 / £3,199 / AU$5,999 for a 65-inch size. If other territories follow a similar discount, then that would bring the G1’s launch price to $2,800 / £2,560 / AU$4,800. Still a sizeable amount of money, certainly, but considerably less than we’d have expected.
The LG CX OLED – one of thebest TVs of last year – retailed at $1,499 / £1,499 (around $1,900) for a48-inchsize, and $3,499 / £3,499 (around $4,500) for a 77-inch size. With the same discount, that would become $1,200 / £1,200 (around $1,500) for the former size and $2,800 / £2,800 (around $3,600) for the latter.
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We’d still expect discounts on these sets throughout the year, of course, though we could foresee LG offering a lower initial launch price in place of theaggressive price dropswe saw on 2020 sets.
The biggest repercussions may be for the new affordableA1 OLEDmodel, which could make history as an OLED TV with a launch price of $1,000 / £1,000 (around $1,300) or lower. We’ve seen other OLEDs discounted below this figure, but never for its initial RRP.
It’s worth noting that LG’s high-cost and very experimental rollable OLED TV, the 65RX,has reportedly sold a mere 10 sets in South Korea, the only country where it has launched – and it may be LG is looking to shore up more certain sales elsewhere in the range.
ViaOLED-info
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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