For most of last year, there was hype in tech circles about the arrival of the first-ever QD-OLED-panel TVs. The new technology, which is being developed by Samsung Display, aims to put together the best of OLED and QLED TV tech. 

It was actually Sony, not Samsung, who was the first to introduce a QD-OLED panel, unveiling theirs at CES, although Samsung Electronics’ own version of the TV won an award at the show. Now, there is word of when consumers might see the first QD-OLED model on the market. 

Business Korea reported last week that Sony will release the first QD-OLED TV, initially introduced in January, this June. The TV will include a QD-OLED panel purchased by Sony from Samsung Display. Sony has traditionally purchased its OLED panels from LG Electronics and will continue to do so for the other Sony OLED TVs in this year’s lineup, per The Verge. 

Sony’s Bravia A95K will arrive in fifty-five- and sixty-five-inch sizes, with expected prices of $2,999 and $3,999, respectively, the report said. That puts it at a slightly higher price point than LG’s comparable OLED Evo and Samsung’s Neo QLED. 

The report added that Samsung was planning to put out its first QD-OLED TV in May, but that launch has been delayed to the second half of the year, “with regard to the panel supply price and amount,” Business Korea said. 

Earlier this month, What HiFi discovered some clues about possible pricing for the new TVs, assembling clues from the formula for rewards points on Sony’s website. 

“The points system garners customers rewards redeemable on a wide range of products, including music, movies, and games. The XR-55A95 K’s will earn buyers 3000 points while the XR-65A95 K’s will bag 4000 points,” the analysis said. 

Forbes on Monday published some first impressions of the new Sony A95K TV. 

“The big story with QD OLED is that by combining a blue organic light element with Quantum Dot red and green layers of the sort usually found in LCD TVs, the A95K can potentially combine the local contrast advantages of OLED TV’s self-emissive pixels with the higher brightness associated with high quality LCD TVs,” writer John Archer said of the TV. "Without, crucially, needing to add the potential colour-diluting white sub-pixel element associated with today’s regular OLED TVs.”

Forbes added that this was not a full-on review. 

“My first look at an A95K, though, has already left me hoping that filmmakers start thinking about moving to QD OLED technology for mastering their content as soon as possible. And you can’t really ask for a more impressive debut impression than that,” Archer said. 

 Stephen Silver, a technology writer for The National Interest, is a journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer, 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.