In the run-up to CES 2026, LG Display has decided to clarify a point that has become central to its OLED strategy. The South Korean manufacturer is now introducing two distinct names for its new-generation panels: Tandem WOLED and Tandem OLED. This choice is not a simple marketing ploy, but a desire to better segment technologies that are similar, yet intended for very different uses. This distinction is aimed at partner brands and consumers alike, at a time when OLED is rapidly evolving in terms of brightness, durability and energy efficiency.
Differences between Tandem WOLED and Tandem OLED panels
Tandem WOLED: the answer to large-screen requirements
Tandem WOLED is primarily intended for large screens, particularly high-end TVs and desktop monitors. This technology is based on a so-called stacked OLED architecture, in which several emissive layers are superimposed to enhance the overall performance of the panel. The term WOLED refers to the use of a white light source, combined with an RGB structure. An additional white sub-pixel is therefore integrated to boost maximum brightness without degrading color accuracy.
This approach enables Tandem WOLED panels to surpass the traditional limitations of OLED on large screen sizes, particularly in terms of peak brightness and longevity. According to LG Display, the stacking of layers improves the lifespan of organic materials while reducing power consumption at equivalent brightness. These features are essential for premium TVs, often used for many hours a day and exposed to increasingly demanding HDR content.
Tandem OLED: technology designed for compact formats
LG Display also introduces the name Tandem OLED to designate a different, albeit related, technology. This technology is designed for small and medium-sized screens, such as those found on laptops, tablets, car dashboard displays and certain professional monitors. Here, the structure is based on two stacked RGB layers, without a separate white light source.
The main aim of Tandem OLED is to optimize brightness and energy efficiency in compact formats, where every millimeter counts and thermal dissipation must remain controlled. This technology enables higher levels of brightness than conventional OLED, while reducing power consumption – a key point for battery-powered mobile devices. LG Display already supplies these Tandem OLED panels to several major market players, including Apple, Asus and Acer.
LG at CES 2026: a technological showcase for LG
CES 2026, to be held in Las Vegas from January 6 to 9, 2026, will be a key moment for LG Display, not only to establish the Tandem brand in the technological (and media) landscape, but also to illustrate this strategy through real products. The manufacturer has already hinted that several Tandem WOLED and Tandem OLED panels will be showcased across TVs, monitors and professional displays, to demonstrate the industrial maturity of this stacked architecture.
On the large-screen side, LG Display will be relying on future generations of premium OLED TVs, notably the much-anticipated series from LG Electronics such as the C6, G6 or M6, as well as equivalent models from its partners Panasonic and Philips. These TV sets should feature these new-generation Tandem WOLED panels, with visible gains in brightness, energy efficiency and durability over previous generations.
In the monitor segment, LG Display has already announced the arrival of new formats ready for mass production in 2026, including a 39″ (100cm) ultrawide screen in 5K definition and a 27″ (68cm) monitor with very high pixel density, designed to illustrate the potential of Tandem technology. The latter model should be capable of reaching a refresh rate of 240Hz, with the ability to switch to 480Hz in Full HD.
With the names Tandem WOLED and Tandem OLED, LG Display is not just renaming its screens. The manufacturer is laying the foundations for a clearer, more coherent strategy for the future of OLED. By clearly distinguishing between technologies according to their use – large screens on the one hand, compact formats on the other – LG Display is responding to precise industrial expectations, while preparing the next phase in the democratization of OLED.
