Samsung’s QLED TV leads the market in Q1

Samsung Electronics said on Sunday that it widened the gap between its flagship QLED TV and LG’s and Sony’s OLED TV in the first half of the year. Samsung’s QLED TV sold more than two million units in the global market while the latter’s global sales volume only recorded 1.22 million units. Samsung emphasized that it successfully gained the upper hand in fierce competition with its competitors, mainly, such as LG Electronics in terms of “8K TV” of the highest-ever resolution.

According to Samsung Electronics and market research firm IHS Markit, QLED TV sold more than two million units globally in the first half of the year, representing a 127 percent year-on-year increase from 870,000 units. By contrast, its rival OLED TV only recorded a sales volume of 1.22 million units, 15 percent up from the same period of last year.

Added to this, QLED TV achieved the total sales volume of 5.4 million units in the first half of 2019 starting from 2017 when it was released in the market. An executive at Samsung Electronics said, “If the total sales volume of QLED TV units is laid on the ground, it is twice the area of Yeouido.” He projected that three million units will sell in the second half of the year, adding up to the accumulated sales volume of eight million units within this year.

“Samsung Electronics aspires to strengthen its global standing as the best TV maker by expanding the market of QLED TVs including 8K resolution technology. It will continuously lead innovation to deliver new values to consumers,” said Choo Jong-seok, executive vice president of the Korean electronics maker’s video display business division.


Keun-Hyung Yoo noel@donga.com