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
Gauge Newsletter University of Peradeniya
33