Japan Display now making 1080p WhiteMagic LCDs, hints at high-end phones with bright screens

It's been hard to appreciate the brightness of WhiteMagic LCDs when they've been limited to lower-end smartphones like the Sony Xperia P. That shouldn't be a problem from now on, as Japan Display has started mass-producing its first 1080p WhiteMagic screen. Like its ancestors, the new 5-inch panel uses white subpixels to reach outdoor-friendly luminosity (840 cd/m2) without excessive power use; it can also match typical LCD brightness levels using less energy. Japan Display hasn't said just which phone makers are using the 1080p screen, but we wouldn't be shocked if company partners like Sony get first dibs.

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Japan Display Inc. Announces Mass Production Start of 5.0-inch Full-HD TFT LCD WhiteMagic Module

– WhiteMagic for High Luminance, High Definition & Power-Saving –

October 11, 2013 (Tokyo, Japan): Japan Display Inc. (JDI), a global leader in mobile display technologies, announced mass production start of "WhiteMagic" 5.0-inch Full-HD (1,080 x 1,920 pixels) TFT LCD module. "WhiteMagic" is JDI's proprietary product, which utilizes unique technology to realize both high luminance and power-saving.

"WhiteMagic" adds a White (W) subpixel into a predominantly Red/Green/Blue (RGB) LCD panel and improves picture brightness. At the same time, "WhiteMagic" scans the input picture image data through a unique algorithm which derives the best signal processing to drive the LCD panel and backlight. As the result, the power consumption of the LCD backlight is reduced without deterioration of the picture quality. "WhiteMagic" has one mode to reduce the power consumption of the LCD backlight while achieving the same brightness level, and it has another mode to improve outdoor visibility by increasing luminance by almost 1.5 times with keeping the same power consumption level of the LCD backlight as conventional RGB LCD products*. "WhiteMagic" can be applied to a range of applications to meet users' requirements.

JDI produces "WhiteMagic" at its newest 6th-Generation low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) LCD line, and other lines. Mass production of "WhiteMagic" has already begun in resolution formats of VGA (640 x 680 pixels), qHD (540 x 960 pixels), and 720HD (720 x 1280 pixels). The new 5.0-inch Full-HD module expands the "WhiteMagic" line-up to higher resolution. "WhiteMagic" can be applied to a wide range of applications, not only to smartphones but to other applications as well.

We will exhibit these displays in Japan Display Inc. booth on October 23 to 25, 2013, during FPD International 2013 in Pacifico Yokohama, Japan.

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