[CES2020] The Two Pillars of the High-Definition TV Market: Samsung Leading, Followed by LG

Samsung QLED TV Sales Double to 5.4 Million Units Last Year
Holds Dominant 30% Share of Global TV Market, Ranked No.1
LG OLED TV Closely Chases Samsung, Unveils New Models at CES

Han Jong-hee, President and Head of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics, is introducing a 75-inch Micro LED TV at the 'Samsung First Look 2019' event in Las Vegas, USA. (Photo by Samsung Electronics)

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] The two major domestic home appliance giants continued their remarkable growth last year, leading global TV market trends. Samsung Electronics secured an overwhelming first place by capturing more than 30% of the global TV market, while LG Electronics, ranked second, is closely pursuing Samsung with its OLED TVs.

On the 5th (local time) at a press conference held in Las Vegas, USA, where the world's largest home appliance and IT exhibition 'CES 2020' took place, Han Jong-hee, President of Samsung Electronics' Visual Display Business, announced, "We sold 5.4 million QLED TVs last year."

This figure more than doubled the 2.6 million QLED TVs sold in 2018. Samsung Electronics exceeded its target of 5 million units last year by nearly 10%.

Thanks to the increase in sales of the high-end QLED TV models, Samsung Electronics' global TV market share is also on the rise. According to market research firm IHS Markit, Samsung Electronics' global TV market share in the third quarter of last year was 30.3% based on sales revenue, securing a dominant first place. A market share in the 30% range is the highest in over six years.

Despite the overall stagnation in the TV market, Samsung Electronics' market share is increasing due to the continued strong sales of premium products such as QLED TVs and ultra-large TVs over 75 inches.

Samsung Electronics aims to continue expanding its market share this year by launching new products such as 8K QLED TVs and Micro LED TVs. Industry insiders expect Samsung's QLED TV sales this year to increase by at least 20-30% compared to the previous year. President Han emphasized, "We expect QLED demand to increase further this year," adding, "We will also boost 8K demand more significantly this year."

LG Electronics models are showcasing the new 88-inch 'LG SIGNATURE OLED 8K' equipped with the artificial intelligence processor 'Alpha 9 Gen3'. (Photo by LG Electronics)

LG Electronics is also pursuing Samsung with a strategy centered on its flagship OLED TVs. In the third quarter of last year, LG Electronics held a 15.9% share of the global TV market based on sales revenue, ranking second after Samsung Electronics.

LG Electronics' OLED TV market share was 62.4% in the first quarter of last year, 56.1% in the second quarter, and 49.8% in the third quarter. Although the share is declining due to the emergence of latecomers such as Sony and Panasonic, LG remains the world's top seller.

At CES 2020, LG Electronics unveiled a large number of new OLED TV models. The new products feature the AI processor 'Alpha 9 Gen 3' for the first time, improving data processing speed and learning algorithms. Additionally, a new 48-inch model was added to the existing 55, 65, 77, and 88-inch models to enhance mass appeal.

At this event, LG Electronics also introduced a design where the entire TV is completely flush with the wall for the first time. This wall-flush design will be applied to LG OLED TVs (model names ZX/GX) and 8K Super Ultra HD TVs (model name Nano99), among others.

The rollable OLED TV, which amazed audiences when first unveiled last year, introduced a new 'roll-down' type that rolls the screen down from the top, in addition to the existing 'roll-up' type that rolls the screen up from the bottom.

Park Hyung-se, Vice President of LG Electronics' HE (TV Business) Division, stated, "We will showcase market-leading products based on the unique strengths of OLED and solidify our leadership in the premium TV market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.