A big jump in OLED display tech is on the horizon thanks to Samsung and LG

What is a phone without its display? Well, phones used to simply be communication devices, so they did not always feature one, but for what seems like ages now, the screen has arguably become the center point of our daily mobile gadgets.

On that note, the displays on our phones are about to get a significant upgrade, at least sometime in the near future. The two largest OLED display manufacturers on the market, LG Display and Samsung Display, are in the process of making an improved type of OLED panels. The benefit this new generation of OLED panels would bring is higher brightness for the same amount of energy. In other words, brighter screens with higher power efficiency.

What sorcery is this, you ask? After all, the display is one of a phone's components that draws the most energy. It is all about the layers, you see. More specifically, replacing the Capping Layer (CPL) with a new low-refractive one, would lower the loss of light (via SamMobile). Take a look at this illustration to get a basic idea:



Essentially, this means that more of the light emitted will be able to pass through all the layers and reach the viewer's eyes.

The firms that make these transparent CPLs, including Dongjin Semichem, Hodogaya, Labto, and PNH Techare, are already said to have sent samples to Samsung Display and LG Display. The Elec reports that both display manufacturers are now discussing the implementation of the new OLED screens with Samsung MX and Apple.

There is one big caveat, however, and you have probably already guessed it — the price. Of course, being a brand new technology and all, the upgraded OLED panels are costlier than the ones that are currently being used. So, to put it another way, that would mean even more expensive phones (which would most definitely be the flagship models), and it's not like we haven't had enough price hikes in the last few years.