From 2025, automotive displays will feature hybrid OLED technology

At CES 2022, LG Display unveiled its new Advanced Thin OLED (ATO) designed specifically for use in automobiles. This medium-sized display uses hybrid OLED technology. In a similar move, Samsung Display showcased its own 34-inch OLED utilizing hybrid OLED technology at CES 2023.

The Hybrid OLED technology combines a glass substrate and thin film encapsulation, resulting in a thinner display that enables sleek designs, such as curves. Moreover, it delivers exceptional picture quality at a reasonable price.

Starting in 2025, several European luxury car brands plan to incorporate hybrid OLED technology to demonstrate their commitment to revamping their electric vehicle offerings.

Hybrid OLED has made its way into the automotive industry

Apple’s future iPad and MacBook products are set to incorporate hybrid OLED technology, a development that has been extensively covered in Omdia reports. Interestingly, this technology is also being used in the automotive industry. LG Display has already launched its new ATO display at CES 2022, specially designed for automotive applications. This mid-sized display with a tandem structure is the first automotive product to use hybrid OLED technology. Samsung Display also showcased its 34-inch screen size at this year’s CES, expanding its options beyond rigid and flexible OLED displays for automotive customers.

Figure 1 and Figure 2 show hybrid OLEDs for automotive.

1. Figure 1: LG Display’s Advanced thin OLED (ATO)

Source: LG Display—photo taken by Alex Kang/Omdia at CES 2022, virtual event, January 2022

2. Figure 2: Samsung’s Ultra-thin OLED (UTO)

Source: Samsung Display, photos taken by Omdia analyst at CES 2023, January 2023

Hybrid OLED technology allows for a sleek design at an affordable price

Automobile manufacturers are searching for technology that can offer a stylish appearance, superb image quality, and affordability. As of now, direct backlight LCD falls short of providing deep black textures compared to OLED. Rigid OLED is not ideal for a waterfall design owing to its limited curvature, while flexible OLED remains expensive. Therefore, a hybrid OLED that integrates a glass substrate and thin film encapsulation is being considered as a more viable option.

3. Figure 3: Hybrid OLED structure

Source: Omdia

By 2025, European car manufacturers will have adopted hybrid OLED technology

It has been announced that numerous European car manufacturers are aiming to introduce a complete lineup of electric cars by the year 2025. To showcase their dedication to improving their electric vehicle offerings and maintaining a high-quality image, hybrid OLED technology has been chosen for their luxury models, alongside flexible OLED.

4. Figure 4: AOLED display model list for automotive

Source: Omdia