LG Display said Thursday it has developed the world’s thinnest full HD LCD display for smartphones, measuring just 2.2 millimeters thick.
The company said its new 5.2-inch (132 mm) display panel has a resolution of 1,080 by 1,920 pixels and is brighter than current full HD phone panels on the market. LG did not reveal when the panel will become available on the market, but showed images of it working and said its results had been independently verified by testing firm Intertek. LG Display said the screen’s bezel is a fraction thicker at 2.3 mm.
LG said it has used a new in-house technology it calls “Advanced One-Glass-Solution.” One-glass solution technology, or OGS, puts the touch screen layer of a display directly onto the underside of the cover glass, combining the two. This eliminates the need for a separate touch-screen layer and allows more light through. It also has the potential to make manufacturing simpler and save costs.
Displays, batteries and camera modules are among the thickest components in smartphones. Slim designs and low weight have proven to be major motivators for consumers for consumers, and so manufacturers are eager to flatten their devices. The display and touch screen together make up the most expensive component on a smartphone, followed by NAND flash memory and the main processor.
Last month, China’s Huawei announced it will soon launch the world’s thinnest smartphone, the Ascend P6, which is just 6.18 mm thick. Apple’s iPhone 5 is 7.6 mm thick, while Samsung’s Galaxy S4 measures 7.9 mm.
Last year, LG Display was the fourth-largest manufacturer of the small and medium-size displays used in smartphones and tablets by revenue, according to data vendor NPD DisplaySearch. LG had a 12 percent market share, behind Samsung Display at 23 percent, Japan Display at 15 percent, and Sharp at 13 percent.