OLED TVs are selling more than ever, but production issues may stunt growth

Over three million OLED TVs are estimated to have been sold in 2019

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

It’s been a good year forOLED TVs, with the fourth quarter in 2019 alone seeing 1.1 millionOLEDtelevisions sold worldwide – the first time the premium panel technology had reached a seven-figure number of units sold in one quarter.

We’re used to seeing spikes in sales over that period, asBlack Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas sales usually contribute to a lot of new purchases. The previous three quarters of 2019 each saw roughly 600,000 units sold.

It’s a long way from the rather humble 4,000 units that kicked off the technology in 2014, helped in no small part by the growing appetite forOLEDTV panels amongTV brandsother than LG.

Slowly dropping prices, and anew 48-inch OLED panel size, could help to grow those numbers even higher in 2020 – but there are still obstacles to overcome before that happens.

Peak performance

While the numbers seem positive, we had largely expected an annual increase in OLED TVs sold, and the measure of success in 2020 will be how much that number can rise again.

Production issues continue at LG’s pre-fab factory in Puja, which has meant months of inoperative machinery unable to produce OLED displays – and the impact that will have in 2020 shipments is still unclear.

We still have a decent amount of time until the final quarter of 2020, of course, which will again be likely to drive most of the technology’s annual sales. With thePS5andXbox Series Xset to launch in that period, too, we could see a surge in purchases for high-end televisions as gamers seek to upgrade to4K TVswithHDRcapabilities that can show off the consoles' increased power and performance.

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

ViaBusinessKorea

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.

Black Friday has arrived: LG’s 65-inch C4 OLED TV gets a staggering $1,300 discount

The Apple TV 4K just got even more interesting for projectors in tvOS 18.2

Your doctor may have an AI assistant taking notes during your next Zoom call