In the current era where technology and aesthetics are intertwined, display technology is undergoing a silent revolution. Transparent OLED screens, once only a “window to the future” in science fiction movies, have quietly entered reality and become a key force in reshaping human-computer interaction, spatial design, and even industrial patterns. From virtual fitting rooms in shopping mall windows to “panoramic smart screens” in car cockpits, from transparent navigation systems in operating rooms to digital artifact walls in museums, transparent OLEDs are reconstructing our understanding of display in an “invisible” manner.
1、 Technological Breakthrough: Evolution from “Luminescence” to “Transparency”
The core principle of transparent OLED originates from the self luminous characteristics of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Unlike traditional LCDs that rely on backlight layers, each pixel of OLED is composed of organic materials that emit light directly through current excitation. This structure naturally gives it the advantages of being lightweight and flexible, and the key to transparency lies in the innovation of the substrate and electrode: using ITO transparent electrodes and high transmittance substrates (such as glass or flexible plastic), combined with micro pixel design, allows light to penetrate the screen, achieving the effect of “display and transparency coexisting”.
The milestone of technological breakthrough will appear at the Shenzhen exhibition in 2025. The transparent Micro LED display displayed by Cosvision has a penetration rate of over 70% and a color gamut of up to NTSC 120%; The lifespan has been extended to six times that of traditional solutions, providing the possibility for high-end applications.
2、 Application scenario: Global penetration from commercial display to future travel
Commercial Space: Seamless Integration of Advertising and Environment
The application of transparent OLED in the retail field can be considered revolutionary. The OLED transparent screen of Philips Commercial Display, with a brightness of 600cd/㎡ and a 90% DCI-P3 color gamut, turns shopping mall windows into “dynamic display windows” – customers can view physical items through the screen while receiving product information or virtual try on effects. This’ what you see is what you get ‘experience has increased the click through rate of an international brand billboard by 40%.
Car cockpit: from dashboard to ‘panoramic smart screen’
Car displays are another major battlefield for transparent OLEDs. The curved OLED dashboard of the Ideal L9 achieves a “borderless” visual experience through flexible design, while the NIO ET9’s “Panoramic Smart Cockpit” embeds 9 OLED screens into the roof, side windows, and center console, supporting five screen linkage and AR navigation projection. It is predicted that the size of China’s automotive OLED market will exceed 5 billion yuan by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of over 40%.
Medical and Industrial: Dual Enhancement of Precision and Efficiency
In the medical field, the “through display” feature of transparent OLED is used in surgical navigation systems. Doctors can observe patients’ CT images and surgical instrument positions in real-time through the screen, with an accuracy improvement of over 20%. In the industrial field, Tianma’s 30.9-inch 4K OLED medical imaging screen with a contrast ratio of 2000:1 and 1.07 billion color levels helps drone operators clearly identify device details at the 0.1mm level.
4、 Future trend: Transparent display of ‘infinite possibilities’
Technology Fusion: Dual Track Parallel of Micro LED and Printed OLED
Micro LEDs have become potential competitors for transparent displays due to their higher brightness and longer lifespan. Samsung and Apple have invested heavily in research and development, but due to the massive transfer of technology, they will still be in the stage of small-scale trial production by 2025. Printing OLED uses inkjet printing to deposit materials, which is low-cost and suitable for large sizes. TCL Huaxing’s 4K 120Hz printed OLED display has achieved 99% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage.
Scene Deepening: Evolution from “Display” to “Interaction”
In the future, transparent OLED will be deeply integrated with AI and sensors. Tianma’s three in one light sensing function screen integrates fingerprint recognition, color temperature sensing, and lifespan monitoring, and dynamically optimizes display parameters through intelligent compensation algorithms; Vishino’s glass based AMOLED solution provides a lightweight solution for AR/VR devices with a resolution of 2000ppi, balancing display performance and cost.
Industrial pattern: a leap from “catching up” to “leading”
The Chinese OLED industry is building a global supply chain through the export of “technology+capital”. JD.com supplies 8K OLED panels to LG and jointly develops “polarization free” technology; Vishino collaborates with Continental Group in Germany to supply in car flexible screens for BMW and Mercedes Benz. At the policy level, the 14th Five Year Plan has listed new displays as a key area, and it is expected to add 10 AMOLED production lines by 2025, with a total investment of over 50 billion yuan.
The “invisible revolution” of transparent OLED screens is not only a breakthrough in display technology, but also a reconstruction of space, interaction, and industrial boundaries. From shopping mall windows to operating rooms, from car cockpits to metaverse, this technology is using “transparency” as a canvas to depict the infinite possibilities of future life. The rise of Chinese enterprises is injecting the strongest impetus into this revolution – when every screen becomes a “window of wisdom”, we are no longer far from the future of “what we see is what we get”.
