Sharp has announced that it can now produce a 5.5-inch LCD display with 3840x2160 pixels (or 4K), setting new standards for pixel density. The screen will be used in smartphones starting next year. 

4K resolution in a 5.5” display
Smartphone manufacturers continue to push the boundaries for mobile displays and Sharp’s latest display intended for 2016 flagship smartphone has far more pixels than your current phone.

The 5.5-inch display has total of 8,294,400 pixels, giving it a density of 806 ppi. It is a LCD panel based on IGZO transistors that allow Sharp to drive far more pixels than other backplane methods, without sacrificing low power consumption. Sharp is currently supplying LCD displays to several phone manufacturers, including Apple.


Samsung is also rumored to add a 4K display in the Galaxy Note 5 that is expected to be unveiled at IFA 2015 this September. Samsung is using OLED displays in its Galaxy products.

But is it necessary? Well, it will not improve the day-to-day phone experience. At this point, improvements in other areas such as color gamut are more relevant. However, as phones become part of the virtual reality eco system, 4K makes a lot of sense simply because you strap the screen onto your face. Even higher resolutions are required for the ideal VR experience.