Samsung to take QLED fight to Chinese rivals with show of tech superiority

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Samsung to take QLED fight to Chinese rivals with show of tech superiority

Published: 17 Mar. 2025, 17:56 Updated: 17 Mar. 2025, 18:25

JIN EUN-SOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Visitors take a look at Samsung Electronics' Neo QLED 8K TV at 2024 European Tech Seminar in Frankfurt, Germany, in February 2024. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung Electronics is going head-to-head with its Chinese competitors to prove its superiority in panel technology by staging a dissection of its own products and those of its rivals at the upcoming 2025 European Tech Seminar.

The event is an annual forum organized by Samsung Electronics to showcase its latest technology in panel and audio, such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) and quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLED). This year is the conference's 14th edition.

This year, Samsung Electronics will directly compare its own QLED TV with that of China's TCL, which was recently mired in a controversy over the absence of a key element required for quantum dot technology.

"Samsung will dissect the two companies' products and compare what's inside to prove the technological upper hand that Samsung has in panels," an industry insider said.

"Quantum dot" refers to chip-sized particles that emit light at a size of two to 10 nanometers. Its range of shades goes from blue to red depending on the size.

"Quantum dot is an extremely sensitive particle that needs a peculiar layer structure inside to protect it," another industry insider said.

"Experts can tell through the dissection whether the panel possesses quantum dot technology or not with their bare eyes."

TCL was recently sued in the United States for misleading advertisements for its QLED TV products. U.S. consumers who purchased TCL's 55-inch QLED TV claimed that TCL falsely advertised its TV products as containing QLED technology while the panels either didn't or barely contained QLED technology. The class action lawsuit was filed against TCL's North American operation with the Superior Court of the State of California.

A similar case is ongoing in Korea as well. Hansol Chemical, a supplier of quantum dot materials to Samsung Electronics, filed a complaint against TCL with Korea's Fair Trade Commission claiming that the Chinese electronics giant violated Korea's advertisement regulations when the agency found out that some of TCL's QLED TVs don't contain any quantum dot technology.

Samsung Electronics' rare decision to take a hardline stance against Chinese rivals stems from their aggressively expanding market share.

Chinese TV companies' market share last year logged 31.3 percent, according to market tracker Omida, exceeding that of Korea for the first time, which logged 28.4 percent.

Against Chinese rivals that are catching up fast, Korea's strategy is to focus on the premium market with its cutting-edge panel technology.

Samsung grabbed 50.5 percent of the global TV market for products with prices exceeding $2,500 in the fourth quarter of last year, while LG Electronics claimed 30.6 percent.

TCL, meanwhile, accounted for 1 percent and Hisense, 0.5 percent.

Samsung Electronics expanded its premium Neo QLED AI TV product lineup to seven this year and OLED from 10 to 14.

BY PARK HAE-LEE [[email protected]]