The 2019 OLED laptops are now shipping, all with the same display, an SDC 15.6" 4K (3840x2160) AMOLED.
Reviewers from Notebook Check tested the Dell XPS 15 7590 OLED laptop to see how the power consumption of the display changes with the content used.
Apple is currently using an LGD 1.57" 394x324 LTPO AMOLED display (1.78" 448x368 on the larger 44mm version) in its latest Watch smart wearable device. Apple's involvement in Micro-LED displays started in 2014 when it acquired LuxVue, and it was always assumed that Apple's main aim for the new display technology is to adopt it in wearable devices.
According to a new report from Taiwan, PlayNitride and RiTDisplay are in talks with Apple to supply microLED displays for Apple's next-generation Watch wearable. A micro-LED display could offer much higher brightness and efficiency compared to an AMOLED display, both of which could be highly desirable in wearable devices.
PlayNitride demonstrated its latest Micro-LED displays at SID DisplayWeek 2019 - a 7.56" 720x480 (114 PPI) transparent MicroLED, a flexible Micro-LED on a polyimide substrate and a high-brightness, high-resolution passive matrix MicroLED aimed towards wearable applications.
PlayNitride aims to release its first Micro-LED display products by the end of 2019. In 2017 the company started to sample micro-LED panels and shipped samples to 10-20 potential customers.
In January 2019 China-based Hisense announced its dual-LCD ULED XD panel, that includes an monochrome inner LCD panel that acts as a two million dimming zones layer to boost the contrast.
In a trade show in China, HiSense demonstrated this panel again, and is apparently close to launching it as a product. The model number will be U9E and Hisense plans to sell it for CNY 17,999 (around $2600) for the 65" 4K model.
AU Optronics unveiled a 6" Full-HD LCD with the world's first full-screen optical in-cell fingerprint sensor - embedded within the LCD structure.
The panel has a full-screen sensing area with the same 403 PPI density as the display and features a 30 ms swift sensor response time.
Many viewers complained that the latest Game of Thrones episode was very dark - too dark infact to see what was happening during the Battle of Winterfell. The episode's Cinematographer says that the scene was dark intentionally, to make it extra intense, claustrophobic and disorienting. However he also blames the compression, and the display settings and viewing environment of most users.
Viewing the episode on an OLED TVs however makes for a good viewing experience with its high contrast and HDR settings. According to reports from the US, this has increased the interest in OLED TVs. Popular Mechanics, for example, ran an article titled "Games of Thrones Proves Why You Need an OLED TV" and Consumer Reports and CNET both recommended an OLED TV over an LCD for the specific episode.
The following is a guest article, by Assaf Levy-Beeri, Co-founder at Joya Team
MicroDisplays are used in a variety of applications. First introduced into the market in the 90s, microdisplays were used as an image source for Rear Projection TVs (RPTVs), projectors, viewfinders for digital cameras and Helmet Mounted Display systems (HMDs).
Today, while the demand for wearable products is increasing and the potential wearable market size is very high, microdisplay market is expected to grow dramatically. Augmented Reality (AR) and smart glasses, Helmet Mounted Displays , Virtual Reality (VR) systems and Head-Up Display (HUD) systems are the main applications where a high-resolution microdisplay is required. Correspondingly, the technology is improving all the time and microdisplays manufacturers make significant investments in order to improve their technology and products performances. In addition, new technologies and manufacturers enter this field.
China-based Fortsense announced the world's first LCD on-screen fingerprint sensor technology. The company says that it has adopted deep learning neural network algorithms to overcome image artifacts and other issues that prevents regular under-the-display sensors to have clear fingerprint images through the LCD display.
Under-the-display sensor technology has been an advantage of OLED displays that LCDs could not overcome until now - although of course it remains to be seen whether the new Fortsense technology provides good recognition and its implementation cost - and how fast it can be commercialized.
In February 2019 Samsung Display started production its new 15.6" UHD (3840x2160) OLED laptop display panels. SDC is targeting premium laptops, as these ultra high resolution panels are optimized for gaming, graphic design and video streaming.
Samsung already signed up a few customers - including HP with its Spectre x360, Lenovo with the Yoga C730 and Dell with the XPS 15, Dell G7 15 and the Alienware m15. According to a new report from Taiwan's Digitimes, Samsung is aggressively seeking new customers for its OLED laptop displays - and the company has pricing its 15.6" OLEDs at only $50-60 above comparable LCD displays.
Casio's interesting PRO TEK WSD-F30 smartwatch is is now shipping for $549 (note: affiliate link to Amazon). The PRO TEK is an Android Wear OS deviec that sports a round 1.2" round 390x390 AMOLED display with a monochrome transparent LCD on top that can be used to conserve battery life (up to a month with wireless off). The watch features a MIL-STSD-810 certification, GPS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
