Hasta La Gadget!

Rumors have been buzzing about a Retina-equipped iPad mini for quite some time now, with recent reports noting a 2014 release date, but according to a new report, we could see the high-res iPad mini sometime in October, based on reports that LG is cranking up shipments for display units in the third quarter.

According to DigiTimes, LG is said to be “making headway” in producing Retina-quality display panels that are earmarked for the next-generation iPad mini, and the company expects to ship around 2-3 million display units per month in order to meet Apple’s rumored launch date for the new iPad mini in October.

Of course, DigiTimes hasn’t been too reliable in the past, so we’d take this with a grain of salt if we were you, but an October release date would put the new product cycle at just over a year for the iPad mini, which lines up perfectly with Apple’s update cycle for its other products. In the end, an October release date sounds very reasonable. And a Retina-ified iPad mini also sounds reasonable at this point.

DigiTimes’ report is vastly the opposite of previous reports of a 2014 release for the Retina iPad mini, with a small refresh of the tablet later this year (which won’t be Retina-equipped). This means we’ll see a new iPad mini in October (or sometime in the fall), and then Retina model won’t come until next year, possibly in the spring time.

Digitimes also reports that the fifth-generation iPad will be lighter, smaller, and more powerful — a rumor that seems pretty obvious at this point, but the design is said to be a lot like the iPad mini, with the thinner bezel on the sides. Obviously, we’ll have to wait and see what Apple does in a couple of months, but we’ll no doubt be seeing iPad refreshes.

SOURCE: DigiTimes

Retina iPad mini arriving in October, based on LG display shipments is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

LG Display has unveiled what it says is the “world’s slimmest” full HD LCD panel for smartphones, which measures in at 5.2-inches and is aimed at reducing the overall thickness of handsets, as well as their weight. The company didn’t state when the panel will be made available to handset makers, but we do have a gallery of it for you after the jump.

In addition to the thinner profile and lighter weight, LG Display also says their new LCD panel will result in a phone with “better grip-ability,” as well as a better viewing experience than previous offerings. The panel has a 2.3mm bezel, while its actual thickness is less than that at 2.2mm, also earning it the title of narrowest full HD smartphone display available.

As a result of the narrow bezel, the overall viewing area of the display is larger than what other panels offer, something LG Display says is “critical”. The new device was developed using the company’s Advanced One-Glass-Solution technology, also known as OGS, marking the first time it has been used with the panel. Likewise, rather than using a single circuit, LG used Dual Flexible Printed Circuits.

Finally, there’s been the utilization of a direct bonding system, which LG Display says has allowed it to use less Optical Clear Resin, something that also results in a brightness higher than other offerings. The panel itself is RGB with 535 nits of brightness at its highest setting, with the contrast coming in at 3.74:1 based on 10,000 lux.

Said LG Display’s IT and Mobile Development Group’s VP Dr. Byeong-Koo Kim: “Today’s introduction of the world’s slimmest Full HD LCD panel represents an exciting advancement for the high-end smartphone segment, and is possible due to our world-class expertise in IPS and touch technologies. “LG Display will continue its commitment to developing products that maximize consumer value as well as opening new doors for the mobile and tablet PC industry.”

SOURCE: LG

LG Display reveals slimmest ever full HD smartphone LCD panel is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

LG Display Press Release:

Seoul, Korea (July 11, 2013) – LG Display [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220], a leading innovator of display technology, today announced that it will unveil the world’s slimmest Full HD LCD panel for smartphones. The state-of-the-art 5.2-inch panel is an exciting advancement for the premium mobile device market enabling sleeker Full HD smartphones featuring better “grip-ability” and a superior viewing experience.

Only 2.2mm thin with a 2.3mm bezel, LG Display’s new panel is both slimmest and narrowest among existing Full HD LCD panels designed for 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. Additionally, the panel will make devices easier to grip as well as lighter in weight.

Key to realizing the world’s slimmest panel is LG Display’s Advanced One-Glass-Solution (OGS), the latest touch technology enabling an enhanced touch screen experience, developed and applied to the new panel for the first time ever. 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. Utilization of a direct bonding system has also resulted in Optical Clear Resin between the panel and touch film for greater brightness.

The new panel’s superiority in displaying resolution, brightness, and contrast ratio results in enhanced outdoor readability. By utilizing 1,080X1,920 pixels consisting of Red, Green, Blue (RGB) sub-pixels, the panel is a true Full HD display. And with a brightness of 535 nits at maximum, LG Display’s panel outperforms all current mobile Full HD LCD panels. Finally, measuring contrast in real-life surroundings with Ambient Contrast Ratio results in a reading of 3.74:1 based on 10,000 lux, confirming the perfect performance of the panel even in strong outdoor sunlight conditions. Renowned testing firm Intertek has officially certified these results.

“Today’s introduction of the world’s slimmest Full HD LCD panel represents an exciting advancement for the high-end smartphone segment, and is possible due to our world-class expertise in IPS and touch technologies,” said Dr. Byeong-Koo Kim, Vice President and Head of LG Display’s IT and Mobile Development Group. “LG Display will continue its commitment to developing products that maximize consumer value as well as opening new doors for the mobile and tablet PC industry.”

LG will begin mass producing flexible OLED displays for smartphones in Q4 2013, the company has confirmed, though while it has teased “major clients” it won’t confirm which manufacturers may offer handsets using the screen tech. LG Display expects to produce 12,000 sheets of flexible OLED every month, the company told The Korea Times, with

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LG plans to launch a flexible OLED smartphone before the end of the year, the company’s VP of mobile has confirmed, though it’s unclear to what extent the work-in-progress handset will actually flex. The OLED panel in question is the handiwork of LG Display according to VP of LG mobile Yoon Bu-hyun, the WSJ reports, with the proposed device set to launch sometime in Q4.

LG Display’s work on flexible OLEDs has been underway for some time, though the company’s efforts have perhaps been overshadowed somewhat by rival Samsung’s YOUM development. Last year, according to a Korea Times report, LG Display was preparing for mass-production of flexible screens by the second half of 2013.

Samsung, meanwhile, demonstrated a flexible OLED concept back at CES, though the screen wasn’t implemented in quite the way many had expected. Rather than being a clamshell device, with the flexibility used to allow the prototype to open up and reveal a bigger panel, Samsung instead wrapped the display around the edge.

That allowed the handset to display status updates along the side, making for at-a-glance notifications without needing to power up the whole display. However, Samsung insisted at the time that the device was merely a concept of what flexible OLED could be used for, not an indication of an actual product in development.

While OLED panels have become more common in their use on mobile devices, LG Display still faces potential bottlenecks in ensuring supplies for its smartphone affiliate. Analysts have already warned that the next-gen displays still suffer from low yields, which likely means high prices and low numbers of products.

That would probably put the eventual device in line with LG’s curved OLED TVs, demonstrated at CES, officially intended for the market but at a cost that will make the potential audience tiny. Nonetheless, as a proof of capabilities, it suggests we could see flexible OLED phones more widespread in 2014 and beyond.

[via OLED-Info]

LG’s first flexible OLED phone due before the year is out is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.