IGZO

Apple supplier Sharp about to kick off mass production of energy-saving Super IGZO panels

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Sharp, the ailing Japanese consumer electronics company, is about to start mass production of its Super IGZO panels for mobile devices that will have a higher resolution and consume up to twenty percent less energy than the company's standard IGZO panels, which already use just a fifth as much power as standard liquid crystal displays.

Super IGZO panels will go into mass production in early 2016, according to a report Friday by Nikkei. The panels will be manufactured at Sharp’s Kameyama Plant No.2 located in Mie Prefecture as the ailing company seeks to replace “some unprofitable television panels” on the conveyor belts.

Apple yet again rumored to switch to power-friendlier IGZO screens for next-gen iPads

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

Boy, is LG Display on a roll today. Not only has the company's website inadvertently pre-announced a supposedly upcoming iMac refresh featuring an 8K resolution Retina screen, but a well-informed LG Display related official ostensibly said Apple is also “creating iPads with a 12-inch display,” based on a very power-efficient oxide LCD screen technology, Taiwanese publication ETNews reported Monday.

Oxide LCD, also known as IGZO, requires a fraction of power compared to LCD IPS screens on current iPads, while rendering more vibrant colors and deeper blacks with quick response times and high color saturation.

Apple now selling 4K Sharp displays in its European web stores

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Apple has begun offering a 32-inch Sharp Ultra HD LED monitor in its European web stores. The 4K monitor, which retails for £3,499.00 (or roughly $5,700 USD), has been available since November, but this is the first we've heard of Apple selling it.

The display uses Sharp's IGZO technology (Indium gallium zinc oxide) and has a resolution of 3840 x 2160. It offers a 1.07 billion color palette, an 800:1 contrast ratio, and comes with DisplayPort support (though it doesn't include the Mini DP adapter)...

Screen burn-ins apparently causing delayed Retina iPad mini launch

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 8, 2013

Apple's web page advertises the new iPad mini with Retina display as coming in late November. In Apple's parlance, that's probably November 29, a Friday. Apple's penchant for making new products available shortly following the announcement was not on display at the October 22 media event as the company said the new iPad mini would not launch alongside the iPad Air.

We already heard that Apple was looking to both LG Display and Samsung as the primary iPad mini screen supplier Sharp has been experiencing issues producing high-resolution 7.9-inch IGZO panels, causing limited supplies at launch. A new report alleges Sharp's LCD panels are actually suffering from burn-in problems, prompting Apple once again to seek help from arch-rival Samsung...

iPad Air has IGZO screen, display expert claims

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 5, 2013

Apple has long been rumored to be adopting Sharp's sophisticated IGZO display technology for iPhones and iPads, but the reported ongoing yields issues have prevented it from making the switch over concerns on maintaining a minimum level of capacity.

At the same time, it hasn't gone unnoticed that the iPad Air achieves the same 10-hour battery life (and 24-hour LTE hotspot performance) in spite of packing in a powerful 64-bit A7 processor and, more importantly, a much smaller battery than its predecessor, 32.9 Whr versus 43 Whr for the iPad 4.

Now, one of the benefits of using IGZO display technologies is vastly reduced power consumption. So, has Apple switched to IGZO panels for the iPad Air or not?

iPhone 6 may adopt IGZO screens as Sharp finally commercializes tech

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 21, 2013

Apple has long wanted to make a switch from the traditional LCD IPS display technology utilized on iOS devices to Sharp's cutting-edge IGZO technology.

Unfortunately, Apple's been unable to offer an IGZO iPhone because the struggling Japanese giant had been facing tremendous technical hurdles preventing mass production of these sophisticated panels.

According to the latest supply chain chatter, Sharp has now successfully commercialized production of IGZO panels for smartphones and will begin manufacturing them at its Kameyama Plant Number 2 before the end of 2013...

Genuine-looking iPhone 5S production images and specs leak

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 17, 2013

Just a day after AllThingsD confirmed analyst Piter Misek's claim of the iPhone 5S production ramp-up in July, a Chinese website leaks a few images that appear to depict a bunch of production iPhone 5S units.

There's no way of determining authenticity of the photos because the iPhone 5S is widely expected to re-use the two-tone design of the current-generation iPhone 5.

The Chinese source also spelled out technical specifications that match up with past rumors.

Go past the fold for the full breakdown...

Apple to finally make shift to IGZO displays next year

Cody Lee ∙ July 10, 2013

According to a new report, upcoming iPads and MacBook laptops should feature significantly better battery life thanks to their use of IGZO display panels. The technology, which uses indium gallium zinc oxide, was co-developed by Sharp and Semiconductor Energy Laboratories.

Apple has long been rumored to adopt the use of IGZO display panels in its mobile products, but production issues and other barriers have prevented this from happening. But if today's news holds true, that could change as early as this year thanks to supply chain advancements...

Apple hires OLED expert from LG Display

Cody Lee ∙ February 8, 2013

Amidst growing rumors of Apple working on a larger-screened iPhone and a full-sized TV set, comes news today that the Cupertino company has hired a high-profile executive to join its prestigious Display group.

His name is Dr. Jeung Jil Lee, and he's a former senior OLED (organic light-emitting diode) expert from LG Display. The hiring reignites speculation that Apple is considering using the display tech in its products...

Supply cuts? Think a major technology shift ahead of iPhone 6

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 18, 2013

There has never been so much hoopla surrounding Apple's supply chain like recent talk of a severe cut back in orders of screens for the iPhone 5, and now iPads as well. The negative sentiment in those unverified reports has already sent AAPL below $500 ahead of the impending earnings call.

But one analyst isn't worried at all. In his mind, the cutbacks are the result of an upcoming "evolutionary technology update" for the next iPhone rather than a sign of a lack of demand for the new Apple handset...

Supply cuts a result of Apple’s adoption of IGZO screens for upcoming iDevices?

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 15, 2013

The reduction in orders of iPhone 5 displays and other components isn't a sign of weak demand as sober analysts paint demand as robust. Nevertheless, the rumor has opened door for more speculation that the Cupertino, California company is winding down production of the iPhone 5 ahead of the iPhone 5S release in June or July.

Be that as it may, it would be very atypical of Apple to pull the current-generation model from shelves after just six months. Even as the company switches to a bi-annual refresh cycle, it will still want to continue offering the iPhone 5 at a reduced price after the next-gen model becomes available. According to a new report, these supply cuts are actually the result of Apple considering IGZO displays for upcoming iOS devices...

CES 2013: Sharp talks IGZO display tech

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnUUXoFsjoY

Sharp, one of Japan's three struggling consumer electronics giants (the other two are Sony and Panasonic), showed off its IGZO panels at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Last we heard, Apple was hoping to use IGZO tech in upcoming products. It's interesting Sharp's demonstration included Corning, the maker of the iPhone's cover glass that in its third-generation boasts 40 percent higher scratch resistances and 50 percent better overall strength. Sharp's IGZO technology requires only a fraction of energy compared to traditional LCD screens and provides richer, livelier colors, deeper blacks and overall sharper images while maintaining the thinness of in-cell display tech featured on the iPhone 5...