Apple and Sharp in talks over IGZO displays

sharp igzo w Apple and Sharp in talks over IGZO displaysThere were rumors that Apple could be ditching Sharp due to the Japanese company’s inability to meet the demand in the production of display panels used for Apple’s iOS devices, but according to Digitimes that might not be the case as it seems that Apple is reportedly still in talks with Sharp over the possible incorporation of its IGZO display panels in future products. Assuming these talks are successful, Apple is rumored to be interested in making the switch to IGZO in iOS products for 2013, which we assume will include the iPad, iPad mini, and iPhone.

Prior to the launch of the third-gen iPad, it was rumored that Apple could be using IGZO displays for the tablet, but as we can see based on teardowns, Apple decided not to go with IGZO at the very last minute. Considering that these IGZO displays are said to be able to be built under thinner bezels and consume less power, we can certainly see the appeal. Plus with Sharp’s financial struggles, a large order from Apple could certainly help them get back on track, that and Qualcomm’s $120 million investment, of course.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Apple Interested In A Smart Watch Of Their Own? [Rumor], Taiwan’s Unimicron could produce future Apple chipsets [Rumor],

Sharp and Qualcomm to team up for energy-efficient IGZO display venture

Sharp and Qualcomm to team up for energyefficient IGZO display venture

We already knew that Sharp’s been asking around for some much-needed help recently, and now we can all breathe a sigh of relief, as Nikkei is reporting that said manufacturer has finally found a new friend to help co-develop its energy-efficient IGZO LCD panels. Set to announce as soon as Tuesday (presumably Japan time), the deal will involve Qualcomm initially throwing in five billion yen ($61 million) by the end of the year, with a double-down of another five billion yen after “sufficient progress has been made.” There’s no timeline yet on when (or if) a full investment would be secured, but if all goes to plan, Qualcomm will eventually hold nearly five percent of Sharp’s stock, whereas Sharp will more or less get back the 10 billion yen it lost to Sony following the termination of their joint venture earlier this year. Not a bad way to prepare for 2013, eh?

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Via: Reuters

Source: Nikkei (subscription required)

Sharp’s 32-Inch 4K IGZO Display Is More Exciting Than a Monitor Should Be

Sharp’s new monitor promises to be something special, offering up 4K resolution powered by ultra-thin IGZO technology to make for a ridiculously high-res but sleek display. It’s going to be gorgeous. But it comes at a price. More »

Sharp to Introduce PN-K321 LCD Monitor Featuring the Industry’s Thinnest Design in a High-Resolution 4K2K Display

Sharp Corporation will introduce into the Japanese market a new 32-inch-class LCD monitor, the PN-K321, a professional monitor previously introduced at CEATEC featuring proprietary IGZO technology and delivering 4K × 2K resolution (3,840 × 2,160 pixels), four times that of full HD.
Demand for ultra-high-definition 4K2K displays is forecast to grow for numerous business and professional applications, including creating and editing graphics and video, financial-related operations requiring …

Sharp’s first 4K 32-inch IGZO LCD is destined for Japanese workstations

Sharp's first 4K 32inch IGZO LCD is destined for Japanese workstations

We’ve been waiting to enjoy the promised extra detail and low power consumption of IGZO-based LCD panels for a few years now, and they’re finally starting to appear. The latest on the docket is Sharp’s new PN-K321 monitor, built for professional use with 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,160) plus HDMI and DisplayPort inputs, and what Sharp claims is the industry’s thinnest frame at just 35mm thick. With an expected price of 450,000 yen or so (about $5,500 US) when it debuts in February 2013 it’s still too pricey for our desks but if you’re doing CAD work you may be able to design a budget it can fit into. We’re seeing them in phones, tablets and now monitors overseas, here’s hoping we’ll see plenty of these high pixel density yet power-sipping panels with US release dates at CES in January.

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Source: Sharp Japan

Sharp ships its first phone with an IGZO display on November 29th, ushers in a low-power LCD era

Sharp Aquos Phone Zeta SH-02E

The gray clouds of Sharp’s gloomy earnings are about to get a silver lining: NTT DoCoMo is at last launching Sharp’s new flagship phone, the breathlessly worded Aquos Phone Zeta SH-02E, on November 29th. When it arrives, the SH-02E will be its* first smartphone to carry an IGZO-based display and show us just how well the high-brightness, low-energy invention fares in a 4.9-inch, 720p LCD. There’s no known fixed pricing, although it’s likely the Android 4.0 device will be sitting at the very top of its Japanese carrier’s range through its Snapdragon S4 Pro, 16-megapixel camera and LTE data. Not fully convinced of IGZO’s worth? Fujitsu’s more conventional Arrows V F-04E is arriving a day earlier with a regular LCD and a Tegra 3, although we’d say that it’s worth waiting the extra 24 hours to be a technology vanguard.

Update: While the SH-02E was the first phone announced with an IGZO LCD screen, it’s been beaten to the market by ASUS’ Padfone 2, which is also rocking the new technology.

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Via: Impress Watch (translated)

Source: NTT DoCoMo (translated)

AUO builds cellphone display with ‘world’s thinnest border’

DNP Auo

Is that 3mm bezel getting you down? AUO says it has created the “world’s narrowest” smartphone border on a new 4.46-inch 720P touch display — just a single millimeter in width. That would put it in the same league as LG’s Cinema Screen TVs, but in a smaller form factor, allowing manufacturers to reduce handset sizes without losing screen area. In related news, AUO also says it’s developing Advanced Hyper-Viewing Angle (AHVA) tech, along with small form-factor IGZO displays, and that it’s started shipping 4.97-inch 1920 x 1080, 443ppi screens. If all that means we have to squint less at our display, let the pixel density wars rage on.

Continue reading AUO builds cellphone display with ‘world’s thinnest border’

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AUO builds cellphone display with ‘world’s thinnest border’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 19:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AUO develops IGZO-based, 65-inch 4K TV screen, vows high resolution without the high power

AUO develops IGZObased, 65inch 4K TV screen, vows high resolution without the high powerIt’s now clear that Sharp doesn’t have an exclusive lock on IGZO displays, even for the big-screen TVs that are still the company’s domain. AU Optronics has developed a 65-inch IGZO panel that wields the very light-friendly technology to reach 4K resolutions without the usual penalties — as the screen doesn’t need much backlighting to illuminate all those pixels, it can stay slim and keep the shocking energy bills to a minimum. The smaller size and miserly power draw also leave a real chance that any pricing will be closer to the mere mortal realm than current 84-inch behemoths. And while it’s mostly up to other companies to decide if and when they use AUO’s flagship display, we’ll have choices of our own should the IGZO TV still be too rich for our blood: the Taiwan firm has simultaneously developed a more conventional, 55-inch 4K screen with a wide color range as well as a 50-inch, 1080p panel with an extra-skinny 0.14-inch bezel. It’s at least good to know that there’s already competition for technology that’s just getting started.

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AUO develops IGZO-based, 65-inch 4K TV screen, vows high resolution without the high power originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 12:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sharp Aquos Pad is the SHT21

All right, your eyes might go a little bit bonkers there, but what we are trying to do is draw your attention to the Sharp Aquos Pad SHT21. It carries the new IGZO LCD technology from Sharp, and according to Japanese carrier KDDI, the Sharp Aquos Pad SHT21 is tipped to debut this coming middle of December, where the 7” tablet is touted to come with more than double the battery life of its predecessor. How is this possible? Definitely not through the sprinkling of pixie dust or fooling around with magic, but rather, it is due to the low-power characteristics of its IGZO LCD display.

The entire shebang tips the scales at a mere 280 grams, where it runs on a 1.5GHz dual-core MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 processor, offers pen input capability, has 1GB RAM, 16GB of internal memory, a microSDXC memory card slot, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and 4G LTE connectivity. Oh yeah, your eyes will be treated to a resolution of 1280 x 800, not quite near the HTC J Butterfly, but decent enough. [Product Page]

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Sharp 6.1-inch IGZO display has 498ppi, WQXGA resolution, Expert claims Apple used older display technology in their new iPads as Sharp’s IGZO displays weren’t ready yet,

Sharp’s 7-inch AQUOS Pad SHT21 brings low-power IGZO LCD tech to tablets in Japan

Sharp's 7inch AQUOS Pad SHT21 brings IGZO LCD to tablets, ships midDecember in Japan

The AQUOS Phone Zeta SH-02E was first with Sharp’s new IGZO LCD technology a few days ago and it’s been followed quickly by another device, the AQUOS Pad SHT21. Scheduled to debut on Japanese carrier KDDI in mid-December, this 7-inch slate claims battery life of up to two and a half times greater than the previous model thanks to the low-power characteristics of its display, and weighs just 280g. It’s powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 CPU, and features a 1280×800 screen resolution, pen input, 1GB RAM, 16GB built-in storage, microSDXC slot, Bluetooth 4.0, MHL, NFC, 3,460mAh battery and 4G LTE capability. Hit the source link for more details courtesy of Engadget Japanese.

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Sharp’s 7-inch AQUOS Pad SHT21 brings low-power IGZO LCD tech to tablets in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 01:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceEngadget Japanese, KDDI, Sharp Japan  | Email this | Comments