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Samsung Display is starting to make wider use of QD-OLED Edge panels, which are intended to help reduce the prices of OLED monitors. The technology has in recent years been associated mainly with expensive designs, but the new line should allow manufacturers to offer more affordable models. The panels retain the key advantages of QD-OLED, including per-pixel control of brightness and colour. At the same time they are less bright and slower than Samsung’s newer generation panels. 27-inch models are already on the market, and the range is now expanding to include 32-inch 4K models.
QD-OLED Edge is making its way into more and more monitors
The first QD-OLED Edge panel in Samsung’s range is a 27-inch panel with a resolution of 2560 × 1440 pixels and a 240 Hz refresh rate. It offers 200 nits of brightness across the full screen and up to 400 nits peak. The design corresponds to third-generation QD-OLED technology from 2024. Samsung Display has not limited the panel’s availability to its own monitors, however, and it is already used by numerous manufacturers. These include Gigabyte, AOC, Dell, Samsung Electronics, Asus, MSI, Acer, ViewSonic and ASRock. The next step is a 32-inch QD-OLED Edge panel with 4K resolution and a 180 Hz refresh rate. It also provides 200 nits full-screen brightness and 400 nits peak. In this case Samsung is using fourth-generation QD-OLED technology from 2025. None of the panels mentioned use an RGB Stripe pixel layout. This matters mainly when displaying text, as its sharpness may therefore be limited. QD-OLED Edge panels are thus aimed primarily at people using the monitor for gaming and multimedia.
Cheaper OLED could accelerate the technology's adoption
These new panels are not aimed at users seeking the highest possible brightness or spectacular HDR. Even so, they still offer advantages over typical LCD monitors in terms of image quality. This includes contrast, black level, colours, response time and viewing angles. The most significant change, however, is the price: QD-OLED Edge monitors are already available in the USA and Europe from about $300–350, depending on the manufacturer. That price point could make it easier for more users to move from LCD to OLED. Among the available and upcoming designs are 27-inch 1440p 240 Hz models as well as 32-inch 4K 180 Hz monitors. In the QD-OLED Edge segment there are products from Acer, AOC, Asus, BenQ, Dell, Gigabyte, MSI, Samsung and ViewSonic, among others. At the same time, lower prices could increase competition in the OLED panel market. The source also hopes for a similar reaction from LG Display and for that company to introduce a more affordable line of WOLED panels. For now, QD-OLED Edge is therefore one of the key ways to improve access to OLED monitors. For consumers this means more choice and a chance to buy an OLED monitor without having to opt for the most expensive models.
Samsung Display is developing QD-OLED Edge as a more affordable alternative to its latest panels. The technology delivers high picture quality but lags behind the pricier generations in brightness and speed. 27-inch 1440p 240 Hz models are already on sale, and manufacturers are also introducing 32-inch 4K 180 Hz designs. If the trend continues, cheaper QD-OLED panels could accelerate the popularisation of OLED monitors.
source: flatpanelshd
