Last week Samsung denied plans of implementing unpaid leave for its LED business sector, and in an act to seemingly to quell negative rumors regarding its LED business, the company unveiled its latest mid-power LED package LM561B+ for high quality color performance.

In a follow up email correspondence with LEDinside, Samsung noted the LED component business remained crucial in its LED business strategy, and forecasted flash LED market demands this year would be around the same level as 2015.

Samsung's latest mid-power LED package LM561B+ products for high quality color performance. (Samsung/LEDinside)

Following market rumors from 2015 that it had exited the global LED market, Samsung emphasized again its LED component business remains intact, and the withdrawn was limited to its LED luminaire business. “This is separate from the components businesses where the current LED business team is housed,” wrote a Samsung spokesperson.

Samsung outlined it has continued its LED business model as a pure-play LED package and module manufacturer, offering LEDs made with epi-up, flip chip, GaN-on-Si technologies, with a complex LED package and module portfolio for all lighting applications. These technologies had given the company a competitive edge against market competitors, additional advantages include its diverse packaging and IoT solution technologies, such as smart lighting modules. Moreover, the company’s product portfolio also covers automotive LED lighting.

As for its outlook for the LED industry, the Korean electronics conglomerate remained optimistic. LED is one of the most efficient light sources that are commercially available for use in many applications. Citing LEDinside research statistics from March 2015, the LED market is expected to grow to over 50% of the total lighting market by 2018 and the demand for cost efficiency and luminous efficacy will constantly grow.

Responding to the company’s market outlook for flash LED products, market prospects show market volume will stay on par with that of 2015, but a potential demand uptick may occur, due to lower-pixel smartphones low pricing trends. The company is also a manufacturer of flash LEDs.

However, Samsung was reserved about its OLED market outlook, and declined to comment whether the technology could overtake LED backlight, and erode LED market shares at some point.

“We are not in a position to speak to market prospects, but we can say that Samsung stays committed to offering the most effective LED solution to our customers,” Samsung stated. “As the OLED panel market is relatively young, a meaningful assessment may follow in the next few years.”

There has been a lot of market speculation recently that Samsung’s display business, Samsung Display, is very close to signing an OLED supplier deal with Apple for next generation devices to be released by 2018 earliest.

(Author: Judy Lin, Chief Editor, LEDinside)