Blue PHOLED TVs are coming — LG Display's 'dream OLED' is rolling out

(Image credit: LG)

LG just planted its flag in an exciting new territory for OLED technology: blue PHOLED.

Last year, Universal Display Corporation (UDC), a prominent developer and manufacturer of OLED display technology, announced that its blue phosphorescent OLED technology — commonly referred to as blue PHOLED — would make its commercial debut in 2025.

Through a partnership with UDC, LG Display has now verified the commercialization of this new technology on a mass production line.

What is blue PHOLED, and when can we expect to see these new OLED TVs on shelves? Here’s the scoop.

Blue PHOLED explained

Conceptually, blue PHOLED isn’t new — red and green phosphorescent OLED technology has been around for years. In fact, the development of red and green PHOLEDs paved the way for today’s best OLED TVs.

In a nutshell, the phosphorescence of primary colors — in this case, red and green — is more energy efficient than the process of fluorescence. In other words, it allows for longer-lasting OLED displays thanks to the materials used.

Blue phosphorescence has proven trickier to develop. As a result, OLED TVs leverage fluorescence for blue and phosphorescence for red and green.

An infographic released by LG Display that illustrates how the company's hybrid two-stack Tandem OLED works and the benefits of highly efficient phosphorescent blue OLED. The primary takeaway provided by the infographic is that this panel is 15% more energy efficient. — (Image credit: LG Display)

LG Display's latest announcement confirms that the display manufacturer is on the doorstep of blue PHOLED mass production. The new panel is reportedly tapping a hybrid two-stack Tandem OLED structure, which the company will unveil at SID Display Week 2025.

LG Display has framed this development as a significant step towards the realization of a “dream OLED” on account of the fact that it reportedly consumes 15% less power than current OLED displays. This could have a positive impact on picture quality, longevity and more.

But what does that mean for folks like you and me who might be shopping for a TV this year?

When can I buy LG’s “dream OLED” TV?

It may be a while before it reaches the aisles of your local Best Buy.

At the risk of being a buzzkill, you might want to hold off on factoring this news into your TV-buying plans. It’s a significant development, but it may be a while still before it reaches the aisles of your local Best Buy.

The aforementioned demo at Display Week 2025 will involve small- and medium-sized panels that, according to LG Display, “can be applied to IT devices such as smartphones and tablets.”

In other words, not a TV.

The press release painted a promising picture about the future of blue phosphorescence, though, claiming that the tech is expected to “expand rapidly” to spaces like AI PCs and AR/VR.

It might be a few years — at least — before your dream TV is a reality.

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Michael Desjardin is a Senior Editor for TVs at Tom's Guide. He's been testing and tinkering with TVs professionally for over a decade, previously for Reviewed and USA Today. Michael graduated from Emerson College where he studied media production and screenwriting. He loves cooking, zoning out to ambient music, and getting way too invested in the Red Sox. He considers himself living proof that TV doesn't necessarily rot your brain.

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