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Micro-LED TVs: Sky-High Costs Revealed
27 Feb
Summary
- Manufacturing cost for a 101-inch micro-LED panel exceeds $50,000.
- Panel materials constitute 86.2% of the total bill of materials.
- Mainstream adoption is predicted to be five years away.
The cost of producing micro-LED televisions continues to be a major hurdle for consumer adoption. A report from UBI Research estimates that the manufacturing cost, or Bill of Materials (BOM), for a 101-inch micro-LED TV could reach approximately $52,000. This figure represents only the production expenses, with final retail prices likely to double that amount.
The substantial cost is largely attributed to the micro-LED panel itself. According to the analysis, panel materials, including the micro-LED pixels, account for a staggering 86.2% of the total BOM. Specifically, the pixel layer alone is estimated at $28,913, with the backplane costing $15,932.
This high cost contrasts sharply with existing technologies like mini-LED and OLED. For instance, a 98-inch mini-LED TV costs $5,999, and a 97-inch OLED is priced at $24,999. Industry experts suggest that improving process yields and achieving vertical integration are essential for micro-LED to become mainstream.
Despite the current price challenges, micro-LED technology holds significant future promise. Its self-emissive nature allows for perfect black performance and virtually unlimited scalability beyond 100 inches. The modular design, where smaller panels are combined, is expected to be key in eventually reducing manufacturing costs. However, manufacturers anticipate it will take around five more years for micro-LED to become widely accessible.
