Samsung Display Co. said Thursday it will mass-produce organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays for laptops with a higher refresh rate in the first quarter of the year as the South Korean panel maker eyes increasing sales amid the pandemic.

Samsung Display said the mass production of its 90Hz OLED screen for laptops will begin in March.

The affiliate of Samsung Group said most laptops in the market currently come with a 60Hz refresh rate display, but its latest product will deliver a more seamless experience to users even though it require more power and higher graphics card performance.

"Samsung Display is helping to introduce a major shift in the market as it collaborates closely with global manufacturers," the company said. "In rendering static images 90 times a second, they will make movements look much more lifelike, or snappier, from a color perspective."

The company said OLED displays actually boast faster screen response times than LCD screens with the same refresh rate.

"The 90Hz OLED display offers high-speed driving that is actually on par with that of 120Hz LCD screens," the company said after its test result showed that the image drag of 90Hz OLED and 120Hz high refresh rate LCD screens were 0.9 mm and 1 mm, respectively.

Samsung hopes its new display product can post brisk sales as demand for laptops is rising following increased remote working, distance learning and online entertainment activities amid the pandemic.

According to market researcher TrendForce, global notebook shipments in 2021 are projected to reach 216.8 million units, up 8.1 percent from a year ago. (Yonhap)