Want a Samsung OLED TV? You could be waiting until 2017
8K resolution and HDR video could mean it'll be worth the wait though
OLED panels might be a must-have for top-end TVs, but you could be in for a long wait until you’ll be able to get a Samsung set equipped with the tech.
A new report from the OLED association has predicted Samsung won’t be ready to launch an OLED TV until at least 2017. When it does, though, it’ll be a seriously high-end set.
In order to stand out from LG and Panasonic, which are already selling (or getting ready to launch) OLED TVs, the Samsung set could have a whopping 8K resolution. HDR video support looks to be a shoe-in, too, which would make it a seriously future-proof TV.
Samsung’s no stranger to OLED displays, using them for smartphones, tablets and other portable gadgets, but it’s not had the best luck translating the tech to the big screen.
The last attempt, the curved KE55S9C, launched in 2013 but only as a limited run. Since then, Samsung has focused on LED tech for its TVs.
It confirmed that quantum dots would be the main aim for 2016 at CES earlier this month, and made no mention of OLED at all.
According to the report, there won’t be any Samsung OLED TVs announced in 2016 at all – which means you should expect LED-only at Berlin’s IFA show in September. Hopefully the extra year will be enough for Samsung to crack OLED on larger screens.
OLED shouldn’t just be reserved for TVs in 2016 and beyond, either.
The OLED Association thinks both Samsung and LG are working at getting the tech into cars for the first time. They have to prove long lifespans and the ability to survive high temperatures before car manufacturers will get on board, though.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor 
