Samsung Display has reportedly restarted development of its “true” QNED display technology, reviving a next-generation TV concept it shelved several years ago while the global display industry heats up with new formats and branding battles.
According to reports from Korean publication ETNews, Samsung resumed work on QNED (Quantum-dot Nanorod Emitting Diode) in late 2025 after previously pausing the project in 2022 due to technical challenges around aligning nanorod LEDs and achieving uniform light output across panels.
QNED is a self-emissive display technology, meaning each pixel generates its own light without the need for an LCD backlight. The approach combines inorganic blue nanorod LEDs with quantum dots, which convert the blue light into red and green to create full-colour images.
That makes the technology conceptually similar to Samsung’s current QD-OLED panels, which also rely on quantum dots for colour conversion. The key difference is the light source: QD-OLED uses organic LEDs, while QNED uses inorganic nanorod LEDs that could potentially offer longer lifespan and higher efficiency.
Samsung’s version of QNED is not the same as the QNED-branded TVs already sold by LG. LG’s QNED models are essentially advanced LCD televisions using Mini-LED backlighting and quantum dot colour filtering, whereas Samsung’s “true QNED” concept removes the LCD layer entirely and relies on self-emissive pixels similar to OLED.
If successfully commercialised, QNED panels could also be cheaper to manufacture than OLED-based technologies. Reports suggest both the nanorod LEDs and quantum dot layers could be deposited using inkjet printing techniques, simplifying production compared with current display methods.
Industry sources told ETNews the revival of the project reflects Samsung’s long-term strategy for next-generation display technologies.
“The team that previously worked on QNED has regrouped. Internally, there is a recognition that nanorod LED technology should be pursued as a long-term strategy,” one industry insider reportedly said.
The move adds yet another technology to Samsung’s already crowded display roadmap. The company is currently commercialising QD-OLED panels, researching EL-QD (also known as nanoLED) where quantum dots themselves emit light, and continuing to invest in microLED displays, which remain extremely expensive to produce.
The renewed push comes as competition intensifies in the television market, particularly from Chinese manufacturers pushing mini-LED and LCD-based technologies at aggressive prices.
For consumers and retailers, however, the restart of QNED research is unlikely to translate into products anytime soon. Analysts say commercial panels remain years away, if the technology reaches the market at all.