Last year, Sony showed the industry and consumers that 4K-resolution screens on smartphones can be done. But although it managed to showcase its display facility's strengths, it couldn't set an example for the rest of its peers. 2016's flagship smartphones are still shipping with 1080p and 1440p-resolution displays, and it looks like both users and mobile technologists are content with the screens we have today. This doesn't mean smartphone top dogs such as Samsung aren't looking to push 4K-resolution screens when the time comes. Samsung believes that the technology does have a future, and could play a key role in improving its portfolio.
"Eventually, 4K screens will become more mainstream," Kyle Brown, head of technology, content and launch management at Samsung told TechRadar. He did admit that there isn't "enough of a noticeable difference" at the typical smartphone screen size to "make it really stand out and be worth the extra cost to users."
The Samsung Gear VR could benefit from a resolution increase.
At the moment, 1440p resolution is widely considered overkill, as the difference with 1080p screens of the same size is difficult to notice. There's not a lot of content to make actual use of it, either, but that's about to change. Virtual reality experiences are becoming a thing of interest among consumers, and mobile VR headsets could benefit from 4K resolution screens to provide a sharper picture and deeper immersion.
Samsung is pushing hard into the area with its Gear VR headset and Milk video streaming service. Brown confirmed that 4K resolution "would be a benefit for VR, as the size of the pixels would be less and you wouldn't see them on the screen as closely." Samsung is indeed looking at the technology, with the executive explaining that 4K screens will happen at the "right time," which would be the "point we can mass-produce a 4K screen that will be enough of a consumer benefit to make it worthwhile." Brown didn't give any time frame or other hints when this might happen.
Luis D. has a multitude of news, features and review articles written for PhoneArena. He adeptly demystifies complex technology topics, such as the development of advanced materials for bendable device displays and the evolution of chipset manufacturing.
Recommended Stories
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: