AMOLED Displays to Be a Major Influence on Smart Device Innovation

As the use of electronic devices becomes increasingly pervasive, the future of displays will change considerably, shifting attention to the imaging possibilities in active-matrix OLED (AMOLED) technology, said Kinam Kim, Samsung Display CEO, in a keynote presentation this week at the Society for Information Display’s Display Week 2013 in Vancouver.

“AMOLED displays are most likely to have the greatest amount of influence on innovation in smart devices,” Kim said, emphasizing that the shift is a result of three evolving “environments”: the spread of cloud computing, the evolution of high-speed networks and the spread of connectivity among electronic devices.

In the cloud environment, the capability of electronic-networked devices for data processing and storage will be extended infinitely, enabling users everywhere to access content such as ultra-HD (UHD) images and 3-D games that only high-tech devices currently can fully process. More advanced display technology will be required to support the increasing reliance on the cloud.

The evolution of high-speed networks also is a contributing factor to the shift. By 2015, the velocity of 4G LTE communication will rise to 3 Gb/s, enabling the transmission time for a two-hour UHD-resolution movie to be under 35 s.

“As image quality of video content improves, larger and even more vibrant displays will emerge as a key differentiating point in mobile devices,” Kim said.

With the spread of connectivity among devices, he said, the use of Wi-Fi networks has exploded. The need for a more established and larger network environment is necessary to not only connect smartphones and tablet PCs, but also automobiles, home appliances and wearable computing devices. This “data flow” explosion is expected to create a huge surge of interest in touch-enabled displays.

The advantages of AMOLED technology will help consumers to realize more possibilities in electronic convenience than we might have ever imagined, Kim said. The first is the superiority of its color. AMOLED displays feature color space 1.4 times broader than that of LCD displays, embodying colors truest to natural colors. By offering the world’s broadest color gamut — supporting nearly 100 percent of the Adobe RGB color space, AMOLED will expand the range of displays well suited to printed media, where specialized color is frequently required.

Another advantage is flexibility and transparency. AMOLED displays can maximize portability by making devices foldable and rollable, and they also can lead innovation in product designs with advantages in curved forms, transparent panels and lighter weight than other display technologies.

Lastly, the displays’ responsiveness to touch and sensors for detecting all five human senses could prove advantageous in depicting natural colors and images with superhigh resolution.

Kim said that display applications, with advantages of AMOLED technology, will rapidly spread throughout other business sectors, such as the automotive, publishing, biogenetic and building industries. They could be used in the automotive industry to replace conventional glass and mirrors. Their flexibility, durability and high resistance to temperature changes could be used to develop watch displays and used in products in the fashion and health care markets. The technology also could be used for decorative or information-delivering architectural displays in and outside of buildings.

“The display market is unlimited in the amount of growth that it can achieve, as technical innovation continues to accelerate,” Kim said.

For more information, visit: www.samsungdisplay.com