After months of rumors, TCL CSOT has made it official: The company is placing a massive bet on printed OLED with a new 8.6-generation plant, scheduled to be ready in about 2 years.
TCL CSOT announced an investment of 29.5 billion yuan (around $4.15 billion) in the new factory, named T8, to be located in Guangzhou, China.
The facility will produce OLED panels using an 8.6-generation (2290mm x 2620mm) process, with a planned monthly capacity of 22,500 substrates that can be cut into smaller panels.
T8 will complement TCL CSOT's existing 5.5G T5 line, which has produces mainly small-sized printed OLED displays since late 2024.
Monitors, tablets, notebooks
The company confirmed that its initial focus will be on OLED panels for monitors, notebooks and tablets, meaning that we will have to wait longer for the TV panels previously teased by TCL.
Unlike existing deposition factories from LG Display and Samsung Display, TCL will rely on inkjet printing, a process believed to be cheaper and more efficient. The new panels will be based on RGB OLED technology, promising pure colors, high resolution and improved energy efficiency.
The company has already demonstrated a full range of printed OLEDs from 6.5 to 65 inches.
TCL CSOT's lineup of inkjet-printed OLED panels, expected to appear in future consumer products
Mass production in 2027
As confirmed by TCL CSOT and the Guangzhou government, construction will begin in November 2025 and take about 24 months.
In other words, mass production is set for late 2027, though some panels may reach the market earlier. The 27-inch 4K 120Hz OLED panel is rumored to be among the first, possibly launching in early 2027.
Also read: First impressions of TCL's promising RGB OLED display
This huge investment shows that TCL is getting serious about OLED after years of focusing mainly on miniLED LCD technology.
TCL's RGB OLED panels will enter the market as a third alternative, alongside LG Display's WOLED and Samsung Display's QD-OLED panel types.
- Source: TCL CSOT via Yicai Global
