Pantech Joins HTC In Switching From AMOLED to SLCD

HTC announced that it would use SLCD instead of AMOLED awhile back, and now Pantech is chiming in and saying they aren’t happy with Samsung’s AMOLED supply either.  An anonymous Pantech executive has declared that:

“We will not user AM-OLED displays in our new phones to be rolled out in the first half of next year because of supply issues.”

Criticized Samsung for not even being able to keep up with demand for AMOLED screens from their own parent company, Samsung Electronics.  Pantech said they would consider using AMOLED screen for the second half of 2011.  I assume this is only the case if Samsung can ramp up production enough to quell fears of another Droid Incredible debacle. 

Ok, so you’re probably thinking, “who the hell cares care about Pantech phones?”.  I personally don’t like the design or quality of the devices I’ve seen so far, but quality isn’t everything.  Just look at Apple(sorry, I couldn’t help myself).  But jokes aside, what’s important is sales volume and figures and I’m pretty Pantech moves a good bit of product off the shelves since they always have several models on AT&T shelves at any given time.  Not to mention they plan to introduce 16 new models next year, the majority of which will run Android. 

If you’re itching for an AMOLED panel from a manufacturer other than Samsung you wont have to wait too long.  Samsung and LG, the number 1 and 2 OLED manufacturers, respectively, have both dumped a good deal of money to ramping up production.  LG has committed 250 billion won (~$215 million) to expanding OLED production.  They hope to produce 1.5 million units per month by the end of 2011.  Samsung is dumping 2.5 trillion won (~$2.15 billion) to boost monthly output to a whopping 30million units per month by July 2011.

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