AMOLED
Panel Types · 4 specs
Direct Answer
AMOLED (Active-Matrix OLED) combines OLED's self-emissive pixels with a TFT active-matrix backplane -- the same one-transistor-per-pixel driving concept as TFT LCD, but switching light-emitting diodes instead of liquid-crystal light valves. It's the dominant OLED format in smartphones, mass-produced by Samsung starting in 2007.
Source: Samsung Display mass production, October 2007 · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026
Specs
| Backplane | TFT active-matrix (transistor per pixel) |
| Primary Use | Smartphones (TVs more commonly use WOLED) |
| Mass Production Start | October 2007 (Samsung) |
| First Consumer Devices | 2008 |
Samsung's Manufacturing Milestone
AMOLED pairs OLED's self-emissive pixels with a TFT active-matrix backplane -- structurally the same one-transistor-per-subpixel switching concept used in TFT LCD, just driving light-emitting diodes directly instead of controlling how much backlight passes through a liquid-crystal layer. That active-matrix control is what lets AMOLED run at much lower drive current than passive-matrix OLED, which matters enormously for battery-powered devices.
Samsung Display began mass-producing AMOLED panels in October 2007, and the first AMOLED-equipped consumer devices reached the market in 2008. Smartphones remain AMOLED's dominant application -- TVs and larger displays more commonly use LG's WOLED (white-subpixel) approach instead, since large-panel AMOLED manufacturing at TV size has historically been harder to yield economically.