companies like LG has achieved success in the mass production of OLEDs with bigger displays ( as in 65-inch TV screens ), thus making them luxurious consumer products . As an example ‘ LG EF9500 ’ a 65-inch OLED television costs about $ 3050 per unit . Companies like Samsung has mastered the mass production of AMOLED displays in the last couple of years for devices with relatively smaller screens ( like smartphones and tabs ). For instance , ‘ WQXGA Super AMOLED ’ ( brand name of Samsung ) displays are being used in highresolution devices like Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 . CURRENT TRENDS IN DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY We are living in an era where display technologies are constantly changing , and there are so many trends to the extent , that it is difficult to keep track of those technologies . Most of the technologies that will be discussed next are just gimmicks for now , on the other hand , some of those technologies show a lot of promise in their respective areas . High-Resolution Displays : Using highresolution displays is one such trend . The pixel density of a display can be given in PPI ( Pixels per Inch ). When it comes to choosing a smartphone , one of the most deal-breaking features is its display . That is why when unveiling iPhone 4 , Steve Jobs emphasized that the number of pixels needed for a Retina display ( brand name of Apple ) is about 300 PPI for a device that is held 10 to 12 inches from the eye . Basically , those displays will boast about screens with pixels so small , that the pixels are not visible to the naked eye . Nowadays , the intense competition and marketing purposes have driven that threshold up to a point in latest smartphones , where you actually need a mini microscope , if you need to observe a pixel in those displays . For an instance , Sony Xperia Z5 Premium ’ s 5.5 inch 4K display ’ s pixel density of 802ppi mocks the Jobs ’ s 300ppi bar . According to most experts , it was an overkill of resources and all those extra pixels require power to light up , which would impact on phone ’ s battery life . In the TV and projector departments , 4K ( UHD ) and 8K display sizes are available . ( 8K : 4,320x7,680 screens are long way from being a mainstream ). Curved Screens and VR : Curved Screens are also a new trend in the industry . Especially , the latest smartphone , television and vehicle manufacturers have used curved displays . Smartphones of Samsung and LG have included these curved screens for their smartphones . For example , Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge sports a double edged curved screen , which became an instant hit among smartphone consumers . Virtual Reality is another field where companies like Samsung have been boasting new products . Samsung Gear VR , HTC Vive , Oculus Rift , Sony PlayStation VR , LG 360 VR are some of the most advertised VR sets . Those devices would let you into the virtual 3D world of its own . Wearable Industry : Including displays in wearables such as fitness bands and smartwatches has become a new trend at present . Apple , Pebble , Samsung , Sony and Tag are few such companies who have already ventured into the smartwatch niche , while many other companies like Fitbit , Garmin and Misfits have taken the control over fitness bands markets . Haptic-Enabled : Haptic-enabled displays are another category which made a huge progress in the last couple of years . Haptic technology allows digital devices to provide physical feedback when we interact with them ; via touch , through vibrations , force or other motions . This is one of the most used features in today ’ s mobile devices . iPhone 6s introduced 3D Touch ( brand name ), where , the iPhone senses how much pressure you apply on the display , and responds accordingly . Stylus : The first use of a stylus in a computing device was the Styalator , demonstrated by Tom Dimond in 1957 . In 2011 , Samsung Galaxy Note came with a stylus ( basically a pen that can write on the screen ). Such devices have allured the smartphone users who missed the use of pen and paper ( here screen ) for note taking , drawing , etc . DisplayMate is a company well-known for its comprehensive tests that determine the quality of smartphone displays . According to them , the double-edged display of Galaxy Note 7 has the best smartphone display out there , overtaking its Galaxy S7 siblings ( Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge ). QD and Flexible Display : One of the most interesting research fields in the display industry is the screens which comprise of Quantum Dots ( QD ). QDs or semiconductor nanocrystals are a central theme in nanotechnology and could provide an alternative for commercial display technology . One final notable mention is the flexible and foldable displays . In CES ( Consumer Electronics Show ) 2011 , Samsung Electronics announced the development of a 4.5-inch prototype and they showcased one such prototype . At 2013 CES , Samsung presented “ Youm ” - concept prototypes for smartphones that incorporated flexible displays . Display technologies have come a long way since its inception of being a paltry monochrome screen to boasting a whopping 802ppi - 4K display in a 5.5-inch screen real estate of a smartphone and has gained the centre of attraction of the consumer by invading almost every nook and corner of a tech gadget .
KAUSHAL DEVIN AMARASINGHE Department of Computer Engineering ( Second Year )
References :
1 . Display Daily . ( n . d .). Top 10 Trends in Displays . [ Online ]. Available at : www . displaydaily . com 2 . Dr . Raymond M . Soneira . ( 2016 ). Galaxy Note7 OLED Display Technology Shoot- Out . [ Online ]. Available at : www . displaymate . com 3 . Nate Ralph . ( 2016 ). Eight VR headsets your eyes need to see . [ Online ]. Available at : www . cnet . com
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