LG Electronics said Monday it would add five new organic light-emitting diode TVs in the coming months, doubling its Korean lineup to a total of 10 models.
The Korean tech giant said four of the new models will be “Ultra” models that offer ultrahigh definition displays aimed at appealing to premium customers.
LG’s 55-inch curved Ultra OLED TV
New models also feature the company’s Art Slim Design that has further reduced the size of parts and circuits for a slimmer design. For example, the 55-inch Ultra OLED TV boasts a 4.8-millimeter thickness, slimmer than a typical smartphone.
OLED TVs work without a backlight so it offers almost infinite contrast levels and high light output with no motion blur, uniformity or off-angle issues. They are also thinner and lighter than LCD TVs.
But they are a lot tougher to produce than LCD TVs, which affects both the supply and pricing.
While most TV makers stick to LCD for better profits, LG, which was the first to market big-screen OLED TVs, has poured resources into the technology as a new growth engine business.
Even though the market is still nascent, the company is confident of future sales. On its home turf, OLED TVs made up 25 percent of its total TV sales in May and June, it said.
In order to diversify consumer choices, the company has also newly adopted a flat-screen design into its new 55- and 65-inch models, which typically came in a curved design due to production constraints. But there is no price difference.
In Korea, the company has started offering cash benefits for customers. With the benefits, a 65-inch flat Ultra OLED TV comes to 8.9 million won ($7,600), while both 55-inch flat and curved Ultra OLED TVs are priced at 5.4 million won.
“We will continue to lead the premium TV market by introducing higher definition and more innovative products,” said Choi Sang-kyu, LG’s domestic sales chief.
By Lee Ji-yoon (
jylee@heraldcorp.com)