LG has launched a new mobile display panel that offers an enhanced color gamut and QHD (2,560 x 1,440) resolution. This translates into a pixel density of 538 ppi. The new panel also includes in-cell touch technology and increased brightness at the same power consumption.
According to the press release from LG, the new display will be used in the upcoming LG flagship smartphone. LG sees this new panel as a quantum leap in terms of key features.
The key feature is of course the QHD resolution, even though LG is not the first to offer such resolution in a mobile display. Many have argued that this development is more of a specification issue than a really useful feature. Apple, for example, calls its 4.7″ display with 326 ppi (1334 x 750) a retina display. While the term ‘retina’ display is a little fuzzy and subject to interpretation, the basic meaning is easy to understand: a display that delivers all resolution the human eye can resolve.
Human eyes differ from person to person in their ability to resolve small detail and focal length and also change with increasing age and, as a consequence, what is a retina display for one person may not be one for another. The value to go by will remain the topic of many debates.
The following table compares some of the most important displays in the smartphone world with this new mode.
| LG | Samsung | Apple | Apple | |
| Model | New | S6 | iPhone 6 | iPhone 6 Plus |
| Display | 5.5″ | |||
| Type | LCD | SAMOLED | LCD | LCD |
|
Pixels |
||||
|
horizontal |
2,560 | 2,560 | 1,334 | 1,920 |
|
vertical |
1,440 | 1,440 | 750 | 1,080 |
|
Size |
5.5″ | 5.1″ | 4.7″ | 5.5″ |
|
Pixel Density |
538 ppi | ? | 326 ppi | 401 ppi |
|
Color Gamut |
120% sRGB | 100% sRGB | 100% sRGB | 100% sRGB |
The comparison seems to indicate that Apple’s new iPhone is already lagging behind in the display department. The question mark in the column for the Samsung SAMOLED display indicates that the display has a pentile structure and there the definition of a pixel is somewhat unclear and up for debate.
The more important features of the new panel are the in-cell touch technology, increased brightness and contrast ratio. The AIT (advanced in-cell touch) technology allows the user to interact with the display even if there are water drops on the screen. The contrast ratio is 50% higher than for conventional QHD LCDs, but LG does not give an absolute number for comparison. The same goes for the brightness which LG says is increased by 30% without using more power but does not mention an absolute number. This will have to wait for the first device using this display.
The key to the enhanced color gamut lies in a different backlight structure that uses a blue LED with red and green phosphors instead of a blue LED with a yellow phosphor. this extends the color gamut by 20%. (We reported on the new technology in our CES report (LG Display Pushes OLEDs and New LCD Materials)
Overall this new panel has some impressive specifications and I am looking forward to seeing it in a real device . – NH
