LG’s 55-inch Curved OLED TV, the 55EA800, was $11,999 when it was announced and launched in Australia back in September of last year. Then, a few months later, it was dropped to $7999. Now, it’s $2000 cheaper, clocking in at a comparatively affordable $5999. Either LG has a bunch of dusty OLED TVs they’re trying to shift ASAP, or its OLED production is getting more advanced by the day.
LG says it’s the latter — the company’s “unique experience” in designing and manufacturing OLED panels has increased yield rates on its production process, so for each run through its factory, more and more OLED panels are being built that pass LG’s tests.
The result is that with more OLED displays to use, the end-to-end price of creating a 55EA9800 has fallen substantially; this translates to lower prices when you hand over your credit card and measure up your living room.
A breakthrough in OLED yield rates is excellent news. This is a doubly important step for LG to make; not only is OLED the future, but it’s a future we need desperately now that the venerable plasma TV is on its last leg. Pricing on LG’s Australian website hasn’t been updated yet, but it should be by the time you make your way into a Harvey Norman or JB Hi-Fi to pick one up. [LG]