Samsung Electronics is set to reveal the progress of commercializing its transparent micro light-emitting diode (LED) display at CES 2026 this month. Transparent micro LED is a technology that has been under development and verification since Samsung Electronics unveiled a prototype at CES 2024, the first in the world.
According to the industry on the 2nd, Samsung Electronics plans to unveil the commercialization stage and a roadmap for expanding into home use for transparent micro LED displays at CES 2026 this month. The focus of this CES announcement is said to be moving beyond the early stage, which remained a concept for exhibitions, to specify the scope of future applications along with real-world use cases.
Transparent micro LED is a technology that Samsung Electronics unveiled as a prototype at CES 2024, the first in the world. At the time, it was not at the productization stage, and transparency rate, price, and commercialization timing were not disclosed, so it was assessed as a technology demo. With micro LED TV prices well over 100 million won, there was considerable skepticism that adding transparent technology would make it difficult to expand demand. Inside and outside the industry, the prevailing view was that the use of transparent micro LED would be limited to B2B.
Roughly two years on, Samsung Electronics is reportedly planning to use CES 2026 to show that transparent micro LED is being applied in real environments. For example, Samsung Electronics recently installed and has been operating a transparent micro LED display in the lobby of KT's new headquarters. Overseas, it has reportedly been in talks with Reliance Group in India over applications in shopping malls. This is interpreted as a signal that transparent micro LED has entered the B2B commercialization stage centered on corporations.
On the technology side, Samsung also plans to present the strengths of transparent micro LED more clearly. Transparent micro LED is a self-emissive display in which LEDs measured in micrometers (μm) emit their own light and color, enabling high brightness even without a rear light-blocking structure. Unlike organic material-based organic light-emitting diode (OLED), it uses inorganic materials, offering superior durability and relatively less concern about burn-in. This differentiates it from transparent OLED, which has limitations in brightness and transparency due to its electrode and wiring structure.
At CES 2026, Samsung Electronics plans to position transparent micro LED not as simple signage or ultra-high-end exhibition products, but as displays that shape spaces. It will present use scenarios combined with architectural elements such as windows, partitions, and lobby structures, and is expected to also outline a direction to expand the scope to home use based on B2B application experience. It will also exhibit audio products that use transparent micro LED.
According to market research firm Omdia, the transparent display market is showing stagnation centered on signage and showcases between 2024 and 2026, but is expected to return to growth from 2027. Analyses also note significant medium- to long-term growth potential in the expanded market that includes Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and consumer electronics. In the industry, while transparent OLED has been accumulating mass-production experience in commercial spaces, micro LED is emerging as a new option in terms of brightness, durability, and spatial utility.
An industry official said, "This CES is expected to be an occasion to show how far transparent micro LED has been made real after two years of development and verification," adding, "Attention in the industry is focused on how far Samsung Electronics will present the level of commercialization for transparent micro LED and an expansion strategy beyond B2B."