MLS is planning to release a new LED bulb that will be retailed at about half the price of existing products, said the company’s Marketing and Sales General Manager Lawrence Lin at an interview at LED Expo Thailand 2015 at IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center.

On average 4W LED bulbs sell for 113 Thai baht, but MLS is planning to further slash prices to 59 Thai baht (US $1.76) for its soon to be released 400 lumens 6W LED bulbs.

Chinese manufacurer MLS lighting LED bulb products displayed at LED Expo Thailand 2015. (LEDinside)

Lin justified the price cut, saying Philips sold two 60W LED bulbs for US $4.97 without utility rebates, lowering a single bulb price to US $2.49, in comparison MLS latest LED bulb retail pricing plan in Thailand does not stand out as a drastic price cut.

However, an industry insider at the show pointed out Philips was selling the bulbs at a lost and the LED chips packed into the bulb were high quality products from a maj0r Japanese LED chip manufacturer.

How MLS will overcome the issue of selling less than $2 LED bulbs on the Thailand LED market without incurring losses remains to be seen.

In addition to targeting the Thailand LED market, MLS is launching integrated LED T5 and T8 tube lights with plastic tube lights.

MLS LED tube lights incuding T5 and T8 displayed at LED Expo Thailand 2015 were all integrated luminaires. (LEDinside)

Lin identified this as the second phase of LED development noting, in the first phase LEDs remained as mere replacement or retrofit products that were designed to substitute traditional luminaires.

In the past, LED bulbs and tube lights thermal dissipation, design, LEDs, drivers, and other components had to be replaced separately. However, by integrating all these components into a luminaire, the entire luminaire can be replaced.

He estimated by the third phase of LED evolution, luminaires will be completely integrated with building materials, such as glass.

“The line between average lighting products and decorative lighting will become increasingly blurred,” he said.

(Author: Judy Lin, Chief Editor, LEDinside)