Flexible OLED is the Future of Mobile, & On-Cell is the Key
By Janice Mori, SVP & GM, Mobile Division, Synaptics
There is little question that OLED displays are the future of mobile. Device makers confirm with the on-going stream of new device introductions that OLED provides superior performance and enhanced optical characteristics compared to the older LCD option.
Synaptics is in the middle of this evolution, enabling the advantages of OLED for top-tier device manufacturers. These benefits include improved image quality, including better contrast, higher brightness, fuller viewing angle, blacker blacks, a wider color range, and much faster refresh rates; lower power consumption; and better durability to operate in a broader temperature range.
As importantly, OLED more readily enables flexible display panels which can bend in your pocket or even fold and have emerged as the favored alternative to rigid displays. Market forecasts predict 40% CAGR over the next three years for flexible OLED displays (which includes the subset of emerging foldable displays). We expect this to be a key growth driver throughout the high-end sector of mobile devices and into the mainstream — and potentially even down into the more price sensitive mid-tier by 2023.
Being in the midst of the shift with our OEM partners, Synaptics gets a front row seat to some pretty cool innovations enabled by OLED display technology. Flexible OLED displays not only provide an enhanced user experience, but also enable new form factors and features. These include borderless ‘infinity’ and waterfall displays, enhanced touch controls to replace physical buttons, face detection to automatically dim the screen when the handset is held to the ear, active pen based input, and foldable screens — all additional ways phone makers will differentiate their devices on top of traditional display performance features such as pixel count and refresh rates.
But in consumer markets with narrow profit margins, OEM product developers and their display suppliers must balance the need for continuous improvement for an improved user experience with cost effective manufacturing and yield processes.
Read more on Synaptics’ website https://www.synaptics.com/company/blog/flexible-oled-on-cell-key
