Self-emitting QLED may hit market before 2020: Samsung

Samsung Electronics Co. on Friday said it may have self-emitting QLED TVs that do not need a backlight around 2020, claiming the biggest issue is not the technology but the price.

Concerning other rivals' move to release self-emitting QLED TVs, such as China's TCL, Samsung expressed confidence that it is still ahead of other players in terms of technology capabilities, Yonhap news agency reported.

"As we cannot release (self-emitting QLED TVs) at extremely high prices, we are making efforts toward full-fledged commercialisation," Samsung Electronics President Han Jong-hui, who heads the video display sector, said during a meeting with reporters at the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) Berlin.

Samsung promotes QLED TVs as their premium products, which utilise quantum dot technology. 

LG Electronics Inc., on the other hand, utilises OLED displays, which do not need a backlight, for its high-end TVs.

Samsung, which showcased its QLED 8K TV at this year's IFA, said it will also make efforts to maintain its leadership status in the premium segment.

Considering its Mirco LED TVs, the company said it has been receiving a "significant" amount of orders from the Middle East, Europe and the US.

Samsung added that the company will also put an emphasis on the built-in kitchen appliances market overseas.

"It is not an exaggeration to say that if we do not succeed in the built-in market in the US and Europe, we cannot succeed in the home appliances business," the Samsung official said. 

"Although it may take some time for us to become the top player, these are markets we cannot give up."

The South Korean tech giant claimed it will also continue efforts to provide customised services to users through the Internet-of-Things and artificial intelligence technologies.

Samsung said it is currently studying methods to understand users' intentions by analyzing facial expressions, along with creating a new platform that can be pre-installed on products to provide AI services without being connected to servers.