igzo

Sharp will begin sales of an ultrathin IGZO 4K LED display from early next year.

The Japanese display maker said Wednesday that it will launch sales of a Full HD 3,840x2,160 resolution 32-inch LED-backlit display starting on February 15, 2013.

Including the chassis, the model PN-K321 display is 35mm thick and compatible with DisplayPort and HDMI connectors.

Probably its most salient feature is the use of IGZO technology -- something Apple has had its eye on for the iPad because IGZO can yield very-high-resolution yet thin displays.

Sharp has a production target of 1,500 units a month. … Read more

Qualcomm and Intel are in discussions with Sharp to invest more than $375 million, according to two reports.

Japan's Kyodo News reported today that Intel is in talks to invest between 30 billion and 40 billion yen (approximately $378 million to $500 million) in Sharp.

But a more recent report today from Reuters said the two companies may make a joint investment of about $378 million.

However, the Reuters report goes to describe the Intel investment as less certain than Qualcomm's commitment. The latter may reach an agreement with Sharp as early as the end of this month. … Read more

Apple could be aiming to refresh the third-generation iPad to reduce weight and make other improvements, CNET has learned.

The updated 9.7-inch Retina iPad would address issues with the first-generation Retina product. That includes making it lighter and improving the LED backlight apparatus, according to market research firm NPD DisplaySearch.

"We are seeing [Apple] work with panel makers to come out with a display that enables a thinner overall [product] with longer battery life," said Richard Shim, an analyst at DisplaySearch.

"Of course the supply chain is dynamic, but we're seeing some early indications that … Read more

Asia-based sources won't quit with speculation about a "revised" model that will fix some of the shortcomings of the third-generation iPad.

Here's the problem: the third-generation iPad's 2,048x1,536 Retina display requires twice as many backlights as the iPad 2, which potentially makes it run hotter and necessitates a bigger battery to achieve roughly the same battery life as the iPad 2.

That bulked up backlight assembly also contributes to a slightly thicker, heavier design than the iPad 2.

Raymond Soneira, the founder, president, and CEO of DisplayMate Technologies, explained the challenges that Apple … Read more

Apple has plans for the so-called iPad Mini and it may be only a matter of getting production up and running, according to NPD DisplaySearch.

"For the 7.85-inch panel, there's a business plan for it, there's a mass production target for it. And we know that it's for Apple," Richard Shim, an NPD DisplaySearch analyst, told CNET.

"I don't know the name of the product, but I know it's going to be a tablet," he said.

NPD DisplaySearch talks to companies in the "supply chain" -- firms that … Read more

Foxconn aims to use its investment in Sharp to land orders for Apple's upcoming large-screen TV -- so the ongoing speculation goes.

The latest guesswork comes from Asia Ho Chao-yang, former president of Chimei Innolux, Taiwan's largest LCD maker, and current chairman of Chi Mei Materials Technology, who concludes that Foxconn Electronics' investment in Sharp is a play to "secure iTV orders from Apple," according to Taipei-based DigiTimes.

Ho added that the launch of an iTV would benefit polarizer makers, of which Chi Mei Materials is one.

This is by no means the first time that … Read more

Apple's iPad could be getting Sharp's latest and greatest display tech after all, according to an analyst who spoke with CNET.

That technology would be IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide), which Sharp began volume production of in April. In that announcement, Sharp specifies sizes and resolutions that match or exceed the third-generation iPad's display.

"It looks like it's happening. It's in our published research," said Richard Shim an analyst at DisplaySearch. "That is, Sharp is supplying the IGZO panels for the new iPad."

Apple was planning to get the IGZO display … Read more

As great as the third-generation -- aka "new" -- iPad is, I've always wondered whether the design was compromised.

Of course that statement alone is enough to incur the everlasting wrath of the Apple crowd. So let me say that I use the gen 3 iPad pretty much every day and have relegated my older iPad 2 to backup duty. In other words, I like the new iPad and love the 2048x1536-pixel, 264-pixels-per-inch (ppi) Retina display. (Not to mention the 4G LTE.)

Still, the fact that the newer version is thicker and heavier than the older one … Read more

By using IGZO oxide semiconductors, Sharp will be able to produce LCD screens that require lower energy consumption through smaller, thin-film transistors and increased pixel transparency.

The technology lends itself well to mobile devices that require low-power components. With a new breed of ultrabooks promised by Intel and updates to Apple's mobile lineup, it seems highly likely that Sharp will work its way in as a primary supplier of display panels.… Read more