Japan’s long-lived TV brand Sharp is to launch a new QD-OLED TV based on a panel supplied by Samsung Display. In addition, it will also debut its first White OLED TVs equipped with panels from LG Display later this year. 

The announcement means Sharp will become just the third brand to offer a QD-OLED television, following in the footsteps of Samsung Electronics and Sony Corp., which launched their first such models in 2022. 

It’s a big boon for anyone wanting to get their hands on a QD-OLED TV. While the likes of Philips and TCL have also shown an interest in Samsung Display’s new technology, they have opted not to launch any products so far. 

Sharp is best known for its low- and mid-range LCD TVs, and was once a global leader in that segment. However, it has long been outcompeted by rivals such as LG and Samsung, and faces intense competition from various Chinese brands in the more affordable market segments. 

So the decision to become one of the first brands to offer a QD-OLED set suggests the company is looking to compete once again with the higher-end TV makers. The company’s QD-OLED TV will be called the Sharp FS1 series, while the regular OLED TVs will appear in the FQ1 series. Both models will be sold in 55- and 65-inch sizes.

Both of the sets will be powered by Sharp’s next-generation AI processor, which works by detecting user’s faces and the sky with great accuracy. Then, the “colours, brightness and detail” are adjusted automatically according to what the chip detects, helping to render these images more realistically, Sharp said. The chip can also optimise content according to the genre, such as movies, sports or dramas. 

Sharp announced the OLED TVs will go on sale in Japan this week, but hasn’t said anything about global availability. However, with the TVs shipping with Google TV, that does indicate the company might be planning to make its OLED TVs more widely available. In addition, we should remember that Sharp promised to bring new Mini-LED and OLED TVs to the U.S. during its appearance at CES 2023 in January. At the time, it said those TVs would run Roku OS instead of Google TV, so keep an eye out for an announcement in the coming weeks, perhaps at IFA 2023 in Berlin in the late summer. 

The Sharp FS1 and FQ1 TVs are both premium models in every respect, with the advanced displays and processor joined by HDMI 2.1 ports, support for Variable Refresh Rates, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and WiFi 6, the company said. 

The TVs are sure to be a big improvement on Sharp’s usual fare, which is its mid-range AQUOS TV lineup that features LCD displays with a refresh rate of just 60Hz and HDMI 2.0. However, we can imagine the FS1 and FQ1 models are a lot more expensive.

To get an idea of what to expect from Sharp's first QD-OLED TV, check out our review of Samsung's new S95C TV launched earlier this year: