LG’s 48-inch OLEDs are coming in 2020

According to LG Display’s vice-president

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Can’t fit an enormousOLED TVin your living room? It looks likeLG’s smaller 48-inchOLEDpanel could be launching as soon as next year.

We reported back in March that LG was planning a smaller,more compact OLED modelto compete with mid-range LCD TVs, but still hadn’t heard much in terms of when that might be.

On a press tour in China however, LG vice president Oh Chang-ho confirmed that the 48-inch size was planned for release at some point in 2020 (via Korean newspaperThe Elec).

Oh Chang-ho said: “It’s a strategy to solidify our footing in the high-end TV market, while continuing to have presence in the standard and premium segments."

OLED is increasingly being embraced as the TV technology of the moment, with the likes of LG,Sony, Philips andHisenseall usingOLEDpanels for their premium televisions. But if you want an OLED TV that can fit into smaller living rooms or even bedrooms, you can’t currently buy one that’s smaller than 55 inches.

Gearing up

OLED TV production is still quite limited compared to LCDs, given how new the technology is to the market, with production lines only currently set up for 55-inch, 65-inch, 77-inch, and recently even 88-inch models (theLG 8K OLED).

It’s also technically difficult to cram all those4Kpixels into a smaller OLED panel, with a 91.8 pixel density (pixels per inch) needed for a 48-inch panel.

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Downsizing to a 48-inch model may not seem like a huge jump for viewers, but it offers a smaller form factor for those who can’t squeeze a55-inch TVinto their homes – and will also offer a cheaper entry point to OLED than LG’s current ‘budget’ option, the £1,199 / $1,499 / AU$2,999LG B8 OLED.

We’ll keep you updated as soon as we have an idea of pricing, but if the new set manages to undercut the £1,000 / $1,000 mark, we could have a real winner on our hands.

ViaFlatpanelsHD

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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