Sharp’s IGZO based LCD technology has been a hot subject this year after it was rumored to be implemented into future Apple devices. The first IGZO based LCD displays are now in mass production and available in consumers devices, including two Sharp devices and the new Asus PadFone.
First IGZO based LCD display
IGZO is not a new display technology but a different material for the backplane and the TFTs (thin film transistors). IGZO can enable much higher-resolution LCD panels because the transistors can become much smaller. Sharp also says that the increased transparency can lead to better light utilization and therefore lower power consumption.
Sharp’s latest smartphone is the first to utilize an IGZO based LCD display
It sounds very promising and with the pixel war going on in the smartphone arena we are sure that IGZO will find a place. Actually, it already has in one of Sharp’s latest smartphones; the Aquos Zeta released in Japan.
The IGZO based display is not the most impressive of its kind we have seen but still offers a 1280x720 pixel resolution. The panel is 4.9 inches in diagonal. The phone will ship before year-end which means that Sharp’s IGZO based LCD panels have finally gone into mass production and we should expect to see them in more devices soon – maybe in Apple’s iOS devices?
We also hear that Sharp’s new 7-inch Pad SHT21 tablet will feature an IGZO LCD display and that Asus’ PadFone that can be mounted inside a tablet will feature a similar IGZO based LCD display. Asus’ PadFone was originally announced with an OLED panel but it seems that Asus has changed the plans.
The new panels sound promising but they are still not as impressive as some of Sharp’s IGZO prototypes.
First IGZO LCD displays in smartphone & tablets
