How This Next-Gen Screen Could Dethrone OLED TVs

Every year, companies flock to CES to showcase their latest and greatest products, and a lot of that showing off has traditionally been about TVs.

This year, Sharp joined in on the fun with its latest display technology called QDEL which, while still experimental, shows potential in replacing the current OLED standard. Specifically, QDEL, which stands for quantum dot electroluminescent, surpasses OLED in major benchmarks like brightness, burn-in, and long-term durability issues.

Sharp had two working prototypes of its QDEL displays at CES 2024 where it was sequestered away in the back room of its booth, as first reported by DigitalTrends. While it’s still very much a work in progress, there are still some exciting glimmers of what QDEL could offer and what a step past OLED could look like. Here’s what you need to know.

What is QDEL And Why Is It Better than OLED?

Sharp’s QDEL display uses quantum dots to produce the image on the screen. However, unlike the current TVs that have this similar design (QLED, for example), Sharp has its quantum dots directly making the color and brightness you see without the need for a separate light source.

This should lead to a much cleaner image that comes with better brightness, accurate colors, and deep blacks. Also, not having to rely on a backlight or OLED materials means the QDEL displays should be less prone to burn-in and long-term durability issues.

Even better, Sharp says that making its QDEL displays is similar to the existing manufacturing process for LED displays. That could translate to a much more reasonable price for consumers as compared to OLED, which has an expensive and labor-intensive process that requires a vacuum environment.

When Will Sharp’s QDEL Displays Come Out?

Considering how secretive Sharp was with its QDEL prototypes during CES 2024, it’s not surprising that the company hasn’t revealed any release timelines for its upcoming displays. On top of that, Sharp tells DigitalTrends that it’s not prioritizing bringing this technology to TVs first, instead will look towards implementing it into smartphones, smartwatches, and computer monitors.

QDEL technology is certainly promising, so we get why Sharp is trying to keep things under wraps for now. However, once the word gets out, we could see other display makers being hot on Sharp’s tail to be the first to mass produce a QDEL TV. Just like how OLED is only about a decade old but incorporated into most devices we use nowadays, we could see the same thing happen with QDEL — whether it’s from Sharp or not.