Earlier today, South Korean electronics maker LG announced a 5.2-inch 1080p LCD panel that the company claims is the thinnest ever produced. The razor-thin panel, also touted as the leanest in the world, was designed for integration into mobile devices.
“This world’s slimmest Full HD LCD panel will provide larger visible display space on smartphones, critical as mobile devices are used for multimedia viewing more than ever before,” said the official LG press release. “Additionally, the panel will make devices easier to grip as well as lighter in weight.”
LG’s new display is only 2.2 mm thick, surrounded by a 2.3 mm bezel, and contains 1080 x 1920 pixels. LG had to re-imagine the layering and design of the panel and the touch film, resulting in something the company calls the “One-Glass-Solution.”
“Dual Flexible Printed Circuits, superior to a single circuit, have been inserted between the panel and touch film, reducing the number of lines on the panel by more than 30 percent,” the press release stated. “Utilization of a direct bonding system has also resulted in Optical Clear Resin between the panel and touch film for greater brightness.”
Speaking of which, LG made the panel’s brightness a sticking point in the press release. The new panel is said to offer a brightness of 535 nits (a unit for measuring luminance) at the maximum setting – substantially more than the Samsung Galaxy S4’s 475 nits, but less than the iPhone 5’s staggering 562 nits. Regardless, LG says that its new display offers “perfect performance … even in strong outdoor sunlight conditions.”
Taking a stab at Samsung, LG also reported that its panel utilizes RGB sub-pixels, which allow it to produce “true Full HD.” LG has previously claimed that Samsung’s preferred Super AMOLED displays are inferior, and also “criticized AMOLED's over-expressed colors and higher power consumption in a ‘normal user environment.’”
LG sits among the top players in the industry when it comes to mobile device display technology and innovation. According to the Korea Times, “LG Display is expected to solidify its leadership in the display market as it will mass-produce a new flexible smartphone panel for major clients from the fourth quarter of this year.” Samsung is also rumored to be working on flexible displays, and many consumers are hoping for the upcoming Galaxy Note 3 to be the first smartphone to incorporate one.
Speaking of upcoming handsets, LG is working on its flagship Optimus G2, which is rumored to sport a 5.2-inch 1080p display. The timing seems perfect for the newly announced screen to make its debut with the G2 later this year.