The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Samsung Electronics unveils 1,000-inch commercial micro LED display

By Kim Byung-wook

Published : July 19, 2021 - 16:00

    • Link copied

Samsung Electronics’ Micro LED TV “The Wall” (Samsung Electronics) Samsung Electronics’ Micro LED TV “The Wall” (Samsung Electronics)


Samsung Electronics on Monday announced the global launch of a commercial version of its Micro LED display “The Wall” where customers can customize the size of the display even larger than 1,000 inches.

According to the South Korean tech giant, The Wall IWA, despite its vast size, supports high-definition images thanks to enhanced upscaling capabilities.

“The latest model is mounted with artificial intelligence processor chips each comprised of 16 neural networks that can digest input images into high-quality ones optimized to the size of the screen,” a company official said.

Samsung, strategically, refuses to call the Micro LED products “TVs.” It prefers to call them ”Micro LED screens” or “Micro LED displays.”

Though 50 percent thinner than previous models, The Wall IWA offers a more detailed expression of gradation, as the model utilizes diodes 40 percent smaller.

The Wall IWA also supports 8K screen resolution at 120Hz and offers a maximum 16K horizontal resolution.

The bezel-less TV can be put together with another one through a docking mechanism like Lego blocks instead of using cables, allowing an easy installation.

“Samsung Electronics will pioneer new market and change the paradigm of commercial display market,” said Hyesung Ha, Senior Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.

The Wall IWA was awarded an eye comfort certification from TÜV Rheinland, a German technical test service and certification organization.

Samsung Electronics first launched its Micro LED display in 2018 under the brand named The Wall for commercial use. In March, the company began the sales of an 110-inch model for general customers at 170 million won ($148,000) to target the premium TV market. The launch of 99-inch, 88-inch and 77-inch models are scheduled within the year. The prices of the new models are expected to be above 100 million won.

A Micro LED TV uses micrometer-sized LED chips as singular pixels that can also self-illuminate, providing better resolution and higher clarity. But unlike organic light-emitting diode displays, it uses inorganic material that minimizes luminance decay concerns.

According to industry tracker Display Supply Chain Consultants, worldwide revenue from Micro LED TVs is expected to grow sharply in the upcoming years, rising from around $25 million this year to around $228 million by 2026.

Market researcher Omdia laid out a conservative outlook for the Micro LED TV market, estimating shipments of 1,000 this year, 30,000 in 2022, 167,000 in 2023, 933,000 in 2025 and 3.4 million in 2027.

Industry sources say that the number of orders for The Wall series stands at less than 100 due to the hefty price.

Despite the limited growth potential of the Micro LED market, Samsung Electronics is maintaining its two-track strategy focused on QLED and Micro LED TV to take initiative in the luxury TV market.