Samsung has taken the wraps off a prototype QVGA LCD panel
(500:1 contrast ratio, 300nit brightness) that is just 0.82mm thick -- about
the same thickness as a typical credit card. The new LCD panel is also 0.07
thinner than the previous title holder.
Samsung says that these new thin displays are a result of a
new mobile technology dubbed "i-Lens." With i-Lens, Samsung is able
to incorporate the panel assembly and the accompanying protective layer into a
single shock-resistant module.
"Samsung’s R&D initiatives, including LCD module
thickness reduction and reinforced shock resistance, will enable our customers
to develop truly differentiated and more reliable, ultra-thin mobile
products," said Executive Vice President Yun Jin-hyuk of Samsung's the Mobile
Display Team.
Samsung notes that in traditional mobile phones, there is a
2 to 3mm space between the LCD module and the protective layer. With the i-Lens
process, the protect layer is applied directly to the LCD module allowing for a
thinner package.
The new 2.1" and 2.2" screens will be put into
mass production in the latter half of 2007.
