Samsung’s highest-end TVs, in recent years, have used QLED technology, the company’s version of quantum-dot technology.

There are indications that Samsung is looking at the next-generation of TVs, with Samsung reportedly looking at including mini-LED technology in some of its 2021 models. Samsung is said to be working on QD-OLED TVs, thought to be the next generation of its TV technology.

There are more indications that Samsung is looking at future versions of the technology, or perhaps even a successor to it.

According to a report from Flat Panels HD, which cited the German language site 4KFilme, Samsung has recently trademarked several phrases that sound like they’re associated with high-end TV technology: “Samsung QNED,” ‘QLED Neo’, “QLED Platinum,” “QLED+” “QLED Z” and ‘Quantum Matrix.”

As pointed out by the site, Samsung had trademarked several terms in the fall of 2019, including “Dual LED,” “Zero Bezel” and “Infinity Screen,” and ended up using those in the 2020 TVs that it unveiled at CES in January.

A report out of Korea this summer said this summer that Samsung Display “has started to promote QD-OLED panels to global TV producers,” with Samsung’s TV arm, as well as Sony and Panasonic taking part in the meetings.

Research firm Omdia, quoted in the summer, said that Samsung could begin production on the QD-OLED panels as early as the third quarter of 2019.

“Samsung Electronics has already decided on a TV lineup that it will release next year,” an industry analyst quoted by Business Korea said this fall. “If Samsung Electronics decides to adopt QD-OLED panels, it will be able to release QD-OLED TVs in 2022 at the earliest, I think.”

It’s not clear what the connection is between the terms trademarked by Samsung and the QD-OLED TV plans, although some reports in the past have indicated that “QNED,” which stands for “Quantum dot Nanorod LED,” is a term associated with the QD-OLED technology.

Samsung is expected to unveil its 2021 TVs at the “virtual” CES in January.

Samsung, in April of 2017, was the driving force behind the formation of the QLED Alliance, along with fellow TV manufacturers Hisense and TCL, along with several other Chinese companies.

“QLED TV achieved 100 percent annual growth rate in the Chinese market and will increase from 600,000 products in 2016 to 1.2 million in 2017,” Liu Yufeng, vice chairman of the China Electronics Chamber of Commerce (CECC), said in the announcement at the time.

“At the same time, the sales at the world’s market will also increase from 3 million to 6 million units. Quantum dot technology will be the major trend of the TV industry.”

Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to Philly Voice, Philadelphia Weekly, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Living Life Fearless, Backstage magazine, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.

Image: Reuters