Samsung withdrawing from PMOLED business

Samsung have decided to withdraw from PMOLED research and development, citing the rise of AMOLED and LCD technology and falling profits.  Passive-Matrix OLED have most commonly been used in cellphone and mobile device displays, with the limiting factor being high power consumption compared to rival technologies. 

PMOLED panels are cheap to build and the manufacturing process is relatively simple compared to AMOLED; however brightness is lower than its active-matrix counterpart.  Last year, LG's display arm ceased PMOLED production; Samsung's withdrawal will leave only NeoView KOLON manufacturing the panels.

According to a company insider, Samsung is now considering changing their existing PMOLED manufacturing line to build lighting panels instead, based on OLED.  It recently began research and development, but – in the hope of not making a second mistake – is also looking at whether such panels would actually find a market.

[via OLED-Display]