Samsung Display Will Mass-Produce The First 90Hz OLED Laptop Screens

Samsung Display has announced that it will mass-produce the world's first 90Hz OLED laptops starting in Q1 of 2021. Initially, the company will produce "very large quantities" of 14-inch 90Hz OLED displays aimed at laptops and notebooks. According to Samsung Displaying CEO Joo Sun Choi, the screens will start production in March.

A 90Hz refresh rate is a significant improvement compared to most laptops and notebooks that currently offer a 60Hz refresh rate. Samsung Display says it's collaborating closely with global computer manufacturers to usher in a new level of excellence for refresh rates. Samsung believes the adoption of the new OLED panels will happen quickly despite the fact that the panel requires the use of a "high-spec graphics card."

The faster refresh rate updates static images 90 times per second, making the movement on-screen look more lifelike. Faster updates for changes in motion on screen provide smoother visuals appearing more seamless to the viewer. OLED screens can transition between scenes more quickly than LCD screens with the same refresh rate.

Samsung Display says its 90Hz OLED refresh rate is ten times that of the fastest screen response time on the market today. The company notes its 90Hz OLED offers speed on par with 120Hz LCD screens. The high refresh rate of OLED screens makes them particularly well-suited to gaming and watching movies.

In testing, Samsung Display tested blur length using the same motion picture of a car driving fast and found image drag for a 90Hz OLED and a 120Hz LCD measured 0.9mm and 1mm, respectively. Samsung says that its OLED screens smear very little and offer practically the same rate as faster LCDs. It's unclear what sort of pricing the new OLED will enter the market at.