LG Display envisions future with premium display

LG Display’s exhibition hall at Magok LG Science Park in western Seoul offers visitors a glimpse of what’s possible in near future, where premium display panels are incorporated in most spheres of life, including the bedroom, restaurants and the subway.

Various types of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panels made by LG, which include transparent to bendable ones, play a central role in this setting. A 55-inch transparent OLED panel at the foot of a bed displays the time, date and weather when people wake up in the morning. The panel can be pulled up to enlarge the screen to watch films or TV shows in bed. The panel goes back into its place when not in use, saving space in the bedroom.

Another display panel that can be hidden and rotated on a wall helps users check their postures with a camera when they exercise, keep track of how long they worked out and record how many calories they burned.

A 48-inch bendable OLED panel enables game fans to immerse themselves in the gaming experience using a curved screen. The same display panel can be flattened to serve as a flat-screen TV.

In a sushi restaurant, LG’s signature transparent panel serves as a self-service kiosk through which customers can order and pay for their food. Customers can also watch sports games on the panel while they wait for their dishes.

Shops can also incorporate the panels, which display prices and other information about products. Payments can also be made via the panel, which eliminates the need to have assistants at shops.

On the subway, the panel substitutes the windows of a train, which can display subway line maps, as well as information about visiting areas and advertisements.

OLED is the next-generation panel for TVs and other larger screens. A gradual shift is taking place away from liquid crystal displays (LCDs). LG Display’s transparent OLED panel has been commercialized, but stands at the top tier of the premium market. The price of a 55-inch transparent OLED panel is about three times higher than a regular OLED panel product of the same size. Currently, transparent OLED panels are only commercially available on a business-to-business (B2B) basis.

Korea’s largest online fashion platform, Musinsa, incorporated LG Display’s transparent OLED panel into its flagship store in the trendy Hongik University area in Seoul. The panel has also been installed in subway train compartments in China. LG Display is seeking to have its premium OLED panels installed at hotels and other commercial venues.

“LG Display is aiming to develop new markets with premium panels, and talks are underway for these panels to be introduced at various venues,” a company official said.