LG Display supplies 'transparent' OLED for China's subways

LG Display's 55-inch transparent OLED display is installed in a subway car in Shenzhen, China, in this photo provided by the company, Friday. / Courtesy of LG Display

By Baek Byung-yeul

LG Display has supplied its state-of-the-art “transparent” 55-inch OLED display panels for use on subways in China, the display-making affiliate of LG Group said Friday.

The company said it has provided its displays to subways operated in Beijing and Shenzhen, the first time that it has provided such display panels for use inside subway cars.

“The 55-inch transparent OLED displays installed on Beijing subway trains on line No. 6 and Shenzhen subway trains on line No. 10 provide transportation information such as subway times and transfer information and even airline schedules. They also offer real-time weather forecasts and news,” a company official said.

LG has developed the transparent OLED displays to mainly target the business-to-business (B2B) market. The company said the new display is suitable for retail stores and other commercial venues that want to promote their products or provide information

The company said actual products can be clearly seen if placed behind the transparent display while video or images overlay the object.

The official said the company is not able to reveal the exact details of the display supply contract and how many it has supplied.

But, the company is currently discussing additional contracts with Chinese subway operators and those in other countries.

“The transparent OLED display business for the B2B market is just in its initial stages. We are currently negotiating with many other customers to supply our cutting-edge displays,” the official said.

Passengers on a subway train in Shenzhen, China look at LG Display's transparent OLED display in this photo provided by the company Friday. / Courtesy of LG Display

LG Display said the transparent display will become a major cash cow in the rapidly-growing B2B display market.

According to data provided by a consulting firm Prescient & Strategic Intelligence, the global transparent display market is expected to grow to $4.93 billion by 2024, with average annual growth of 46 percent.

Oh Chang-ho, executive vice president and head of the TV business unit at LG Display, said the use of its transparent OLED displays will be expanded to various business sectors.

“We will be able to see many more transparent displays used in various business areas. To become the world's best display company, LG Display is fully ready to supply products that are required by different industries,” Oh said in a statement.