LCD Technology Still Top Mobile Displays
Mobile phone displays are still dominated by LCD technology, but a few other technologies — some new and others not so new — are trying to carve out their place in the market, according to research from ABI Research.
As a mature technology, liquid crystal display (LCD) currently has a cost advantage over other display technologies, and ABI stated that it will remain the primary display technology for the foreseeable future. However, although LCD displays have improved a lot over the years, the technology performance falls short in areas like power consumption and readability in bright light conditions.
“Of the challengers, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are among leading contenders because of the maturity of their development and their use in other devices, such as televisions, which will strengthen their supply chain,” said Kevin Burden, research director of ABI Research.
mirasol display prototype
Another contender is Qualcomm’s micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based “mirasol” display, which ABI stated is finding its first role in secondary screens found on clamshell handsets. Qualcomm plans to open a dedicated mirasol display factory in Taiwan in 2009, which will be another big step in ramping up its supply chain, the research company stated.
Finally, the “electronic paper” E-Ink technology that is found in Amazon’s Kindle device is also being targeted at the handset market. ABI stated that E-Ink is physically robust and has very low power consumption, but its inability to handle color and its low refresh rate may be a limiting factor to immediate appeal. However, there’s an opportunity for the technology to be used as a secondary display in phones.
According to ABI, the biggest limited factor for all of the display contenders is cost. They all cost more than LCD displays. Because of the “enormous volumes” in the mobile phone market, even a few cents can make a difference between adoption and rejection. Prices on the other display technologies should drop over time, ABI noted.
“It’s a long road ahead for these new display companies, but even a niche in the handset market could prove very profitable indeed,” Burden said.
