[Edaily Reporter JAEMIN SONG ] As AI PCs become more widespread, competition over low-power technology is heating up in the domestic display industry. Since manufacturers must boost AI computing performance while ensuring battery life, the ability to reduce power consumption without compromising screen performance—such as high resolution and high brightness—is emerging as a new competitive factor.

According to market research firm Omdia on the 23rd, AI PCs accounted for 48.3% of U.S. PC shipments in the second quarter of this year. This figure is expected to surpass 50% for the first time in the third quarter.

An AI PC is a computer that performs AI tasks on the device itself, equipped not only with a traditional central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) but also with a neural processing unit (NPU) dedicated to AI computations. As components responsible for AI computations are added and the volume of tasks to be processed increases, the importance of power management is growing. Laptops, in particular, must secure power for AI computations while maintaining battery life, which means they also need to reduce display power consumption.

Consequently, Samsung Display and LG Display are refining technologies to improve the power efficiency of OLEDs. Samsung Display recently filed a trademark application for “LP (Low Power) OLED.” Rather than referring to a single specific technology, LP OLED is understood to encompass the low-power OLED technologies currently under development by Samsung Display. Industry sources indicate that Samsung Display is developing technologies to reduce power consumption not only by improving luminous efficiency but also by lowering the power consumption of drive components such as the display driver IC (DDI).

Some low-power technologies are already in use. “SmartPower HDR,” jointly developed by Samsung Display and Intel, adjusts the OLED drive voltage in real time based on the content. This can reduce OLED power consumption by up to 22% during general usage scenarios, such as web browsing or document editing.

LG Display is enhancing power efficiency by leveraging “tandem OLED,” which consists of two stacked emissive layers. This structure allows the same brightness to be achieved with less power; for example, a 14-inch, 400-nit tandem OLED for laptops can reduce power consumption by up to 40% compared to conventional single-layer OLEDs. The company is also implementing low-power technologies on the driver side, such as adjusting the refresh rate based on screen movement.

The rapid growth of the OLED laptop market is also expected to accelerate the competition for power efficiency. Omdia forecasts that while total laptop display shipments will decrease by 0.6% year-over-year, OLED laptop shipments will increase by 66%.

An industry official stated, “Since AI processing inevitably leads to higher battery consumption, there is a growing demand to conserve as much power as possible in all components, including displays,” adding, “It is becoming increasingly important to maximize power efficiency while maintaining high-end specifications such as picture quality and brightness.”