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Samsung 7-inch Super AMOLED panel showcased on 'next gen' Galaxy Tab
We were promised a 7-inch Super AMOLED display at FPD 2010 and Samsung has duly delivered. What's less predictable about this yummy new hardware's debut, however, is the fact that it was built right into a Galaxy Tab. Yes, our postulations that Samsung intends to spruce up its "pocket-friendly" slate with a 1200 x 600 resolution and an extra lick of hyper-advanced screen technology seem to have been spot on, as OLED-Display reports the device on show was indeed the company's "next generation" Tab. We only wish there was more than just that one image -- we'll be hounding the internet for more, rest assured! Update: Samsung's official note on the matter lists a WSVGA resolution (i.e. 1024 x 600 as on the current Tab) and some amateur geometry applied to the image does indeed show the prototype screen above has a smaller ratio than the requisite 2:1 for a 1200 x 600 pixel display. Ah well, we still want one. Also, check out Netbook News below for more images. Update 2: Been eyeing that dualscreen clamshell in the back there? Turns out it's another AMOLED prototype with two 4.5-inch displays! Hit the break for a closer look at it on video.
Samsung showcases 4.5-inch flexible AMOLED, may actually mass produce this one
For all intents and purposes, every single flexible display we've seen over the past few years has eventually been filed in the "awesome things that'll never materialize" drawer. There are exceptions to that rule, mind you, but we've largely been frustrated by how often these things pop up at trade shows and then vanish forever. Samsung Mobile Display, however, is hoping to change that. According to reports stemming from FPD International 2010, this here 4.5-incher is dangerously close to production, and given the lustworthy 800 x 480 resolution, we couldn't be more excited about the possibilities. We're told that Samsung is eschewing the traditional glass substrate in favor of a newfangled plastic version, and evidently it's a heck of a lot easier to mass produce. After all, we're still waiting for this thing, guys.
Samsung announces 7-inch Super AMOLED panel, makes first-gen Tab a little nervous
We're calling Samsung's Galaxy Tab the best Android tablet of the moment, but curiously the company seems intent on planting a seed of doubt in the minds of early adopters, announcing what may very well be the next Tab's display. Early (and likely baseless) rumors on the current Tab indicated it would be fronting a Super AMOLED panel, but of course that didn't come to pass. Now Samsung Mobile Display is set to debut a new 7-inch Super AMOLED panel at the FPD-International exhibition in Japan in two weeks, ahead of full production in mid-2011. Its 1200 x 600 resolution is a bit odd, wider than the Tab's current 1024 x 600, but more pixels in the same space are generally a good thing. That's all we know at this point, and of course there's no confirmation that this will indeed find a home in a next-generation tablet, but don't let that stop you from speculating in comments about what else the OLED Tab might offer.
ITRI shows off 6-inch FlexUPD AMOLED, hybrid 2D/3D display, makes lots of promises
Hey, remember when Taiwan's ITRI said that flexible TFT-EPD displays would be ready for smartphones by 2009? Yeah, well, keep that in mind when reading about this new 6-inch flexible display the company says will be released in a line of e-readers "very soon." It's called the FlexUPD, a 1mm thick AMOLED with a 5cm folding radius, 150nits brightness, and "unbreakable" construction. ITRI is also talking up its switchable 2D/3D display that we saw earlier, able to display both types of content simultaneously and do so without the requirement of goofy glasses. That tech is called i2/3DW and is set to "revitalize the [display] industry by revolutionizing the concept of 3D viewing." You keep on believing, ITRI, we'll just keep on waiting.
Nokia N8 review
The first time Nokia's N8-00 popped up on our radar was way back in early February of this year. On that chilly, misty morning, we learned of a mythical being capable of shooting 12 megapixel stills, recording 720p video, outputting via HDMI, and -- most importantly -- ushering in the promised Symbian^3 touch revolution. It's been a long road of leaks, teasers, hands-ons, and previews since then, but at long last, the legend of the N8 has become a purchasable commodity. All the early specs have survived, including the 3.5-inch AMOLED display, but the key question today, as it was at the beginning, relates to that all-new software within: does Symbian^3 succeed in elevating Nokia's touchscreen experience or does it drag down an otherwise stellar combination of high-end parts? For that verdict and much, much more, join us after the break.%Gallery-103738%%Gallery-104212%
Dell Venue Pro gives WP7 a 4.1-inch QWERTY slider with Lightning heritage and a T-Mobile future
To say we've been eagerly anticipating the Dell Lightning would be an understatement along the lines of suggesting Microsoft's launching a few Windows Phone 7 devices today. Dell's AMOLED-equipped WP7 debut has just gone official with a cringe-worthy renaming to the Venue Pro for T-Mobile, who has in turn announced its intention to carry the 4.1-inch portrait QWERTY slider "in time for the holidays." Notably, you won't be able to purchase the Venue Pro directly from T-Mo stores, as Dell and its choice of handpicked retailers are set to handle the purchasing experience. Don't look for any AT&T hookups, either -- Dell has acknowledged T-Mobile as its "launch partner" for the device, giving team Magenta a second major exclusive, even if this one doesn't last much beyond the launch period. Needless to say, we'll seek to confirm the full spec sheet as soon as we can, though the officially known 1GHz Snapdragon chip and 5 megapixel imager agree with the Lightning's original leak. For more on the fresher than fresh Dell Venue Pro, check out our hands-on pictures and impressions.%Gallery-104726%
AT&T debuts slim, AMOLED-equipped Pantech Laser slider
Well, it looks like Pantech may not be dropping AMOLED screens just yet after all -- the company has just rolled out its new Laser slider on AT&T complete with, you guessed it, a 3.1-inch AMOLED display. Set to be available on October 17th, the phone is also the thinnest QWERTY slider available on AT&T at just 9.95 millimeters thick, but things unfortunately get decidedly less interesting from there. The Laser is simply a "quick messaging phone," for starters, and you'll only get AT&T's own apps for navigation, social networking, and other basic tasks -- though it does have a somewhat unique "Drawing Commander" feature that lets you draw shapes to make phone calls or launch apps. That doesn't mean the Laser comes with quick messaging phone price, however -- it'll set you back $100 after a $50 mail-in rebate on a two-year contract (placing it right in line with some of AT&T's newest mid-range Android phones). Hit up the gallery below for a closer look, and head on past the break for the full press release. %Gallery-104547%
HTC outs black Legend and white Desire to keep you busy for the time being
It's almost a given that HTC may have a little announcement for us next Monday, but chances are you'd like to let Windows Phone 7 settle in for a bit while you cling on to your trusty green bot. Assuming neither the Desire HD nor the troublesome Desire Z / G2 tickled your fancy, you now have two more options for consideration: a "phantom black" Legend and a "brilliant white" Desire (as seen a few weeks ago). Patrons in Europe should be seeing these new handsets starting this month, but here's a caveat: we're told that rather than going 100 percent SLCD for the Desire, it's actually a mix of both SLCD and AMOLED, so be sure to double-check with your store before handing over your hard-earned euros.
Latest smartphone displays pitted in no-holds-barred deathmatch
If you're a numbers geek, you're trying to be scientific about your next smartphone purchase, or you just like pretty colors, you might appreciate DisplayMate's latest report rounding up examples of all (well, most) of the latest and greatest display technologies out there: IPS LCD, Super AMOLED, AMOLED, and TFT, represented by the iPhone 4 and Droid, the Galaxy S, the Nexus One, and the iPhone 3GS, respectively. Noticeably missing is SLCD, the technology HTC has been using to make up for lost ground on its AMOLED shortage from component supplier Samsung, but we've got a hunch DisplayMate's hard at work at adding that into the mix. Anyhow, considering the sheer number of variables the firm takes into consideration -- everything from color depth, to brightness, to reflectance, to color gamut -- there's no clear-cut winner, but the Droid and iPhone 4 are obviously a cut above the rest with generally higher scores and better performance across the board. The Galaxy S' Super AMOLED turns in a decent performance, too, but takes a little hit for its 16-bit color depth and blown-out colors. Of course, if you consider any of these -- even the crappy TFT on the 3GS -- to a phone from five years ago, it still looks like science fiction... so you really can't go wrong, can you?
Samsung SGH-i916 spotted cuddling up to an iPhone 4 in the wilds of Canada
Unless our eyes deceive us most cruelly, the Samsung phone we see above looks identical to the i917 Windows Phone 7 handset we've been seeing all over the place. Curious then that it bears the title of SGH-i916. We can only surmise that there's some minuscule difference between the two phones, with this i916 purportedly set to ride Rogers airwaves up in Canada -- seemingly with none of Samsung's own branding anywhere on its shell. Another common feature it seems to share with the i917 is an AMOLED screen, judging by the deeper than deep black color it's capable of pushing out. See a much larger picture of the i916 after the break, and if you want an even better idea of how a 4-inch Samsung handset compares to the iPhone 4, visit our screen comparison test starring the Galaxy S.
Samsung NX100 hands-on (video)
We're expecting to get our grubby paws on an NX100 later today for some longer-term testing, but for now, we wanted to go ahead and get you our initial impressions after handling the new mirrorless compact for a couple of minutes following Samsung's Photokina 2010 press event. The device itself is far smaller than the NX10 of last year, but it's still decidedly solid, if not a touch thick. The 20mm pancake lens on the model we tested was well built, and the i-Function capabilities were downright impressive. It took us a tick to grok how it works, but a good 30 seconds of learning presented us with loads of on-the-fly flexibility. You simply tap the i-Function button with your right hand in order to select what type of setting you'd like to change (exposure, ISO, shutter speed, etc.), and then rotate the wheel on the lens in either direction in order to change the value. Despite our doubts, it actually worked beautifully, and now we're eager to see this type of technology on even more cameras (even if its reserved for Samsung's range). The 3-inch AMOLED on the rear was also stunning, sharp and bright, and the whole thing fit in our hands well. We're still fond of our DSLR for most things, but we could totally see a unit like this making the most sense for amateurs who aren't fond of lugging around something so gigantic. Ergonomics, design and i-Function? All were stellar -- here's hoping the image and video quality meet those same standards, and we'll be bringing you those opinions just as soon as we can form them. Video's after the break, if you're thirsty for more. %Gallery-102746% %Gallery-102745%
Nokia CBD vs. Apple Retina display fight, part deux: sunlight edition (video)
You asked for it, so here it is: the iPhone 4's retina display versus a prototype Nokia E7 with new AMOLED Clear Black Display in direct sunlight. With both displays set to 100 percent brightness, we'd say that the EPD had a very very slight edge as it offered the best visibility under the most extreme viewing angles. Having said that, both are equally uncomfortable to use in intense sunlight, even as that's defined on a cloudless morning in London. Feast on the gallery below and video after the break to see the two under a variety of viewing angles.%Gallery-102275%
HTC Droid Incredible nearing switch from AMOLED to SLCD?
HTC already transitioned its Desire and Nexus One units from AMOLED to Super LCD, and it looks as if the outfit may soon be doing likewise on the highly popular Droid Incredible as it struggles against a long-running AMOLED shortage. The Verizon memo you see above clearly lays out the firm's intentions, with an entirely new SKU (ADR6300VW3) expected to flush through retail channels "around the end of September." In other words, those who purchase an Incredible after the end of this month will all but definitely be guaranteed an SLCD unit. We pinged HTC to see if it wanted to deny or confirm the claims, and here's what we received: "We haven't announced any moves towards changing the Incredible display from AMOLED to SLCD." Yeah, a textbook denial. Oh, and if you're wondering whether to rush or retard your impending Incredible purchase, have a look at our Desire head-to-head here. Decisions, decisions...
Nokia CBD vs. Apple Retina... display fight!
Come on, you knew this post was coming. Here we have a prototype Nokia E7 and its new 4-inch, 640x360 pixel Clear Black Display pitted again the iPhone 4's 3.5-inch 960x640 pixel Retina display. To our eyes, the iPhone 4 display has a noticeable blue warmth and wasn't as vibrant or bright as the CBD. The CBD, however, did come across a bit oversatured (just look at those red "breaking news" bars), but hey, it's AMOLED. It certainly looks just as good as the Galaxy S' Super AMOLED. We'll have to see how the polarized layer on the CBD affects sunlight viewing. More on that later. Until then, play nice dear readers.%Gallery-102126%
Nokia E7 first hands-on
Wow. That's the feeling that hits when you pick up the Nokia E7 for the first time. That 4-inch "Clear Black" display really pops as you'd expect from AMOLED and the full QWERTY slider is packed into an incredibly svelte and attractive form factor. Impressions coming up shortly. Until then, check out the E7 next to its N8 cousin and iPhone 4 foe. Update: Follow the break for some quick thoughts on this bad boy. %Gallery-102120%%Gallery-102151%
Samsung NX100 mirrorless camera gets official: 14.6MP, i-Function lens, 3-inch AMOLED
Look out, world -- the mirrorless camera game just got a lot more interesting. Shortly after Olympus introduced a new mid-range DSLR, Samsung has outed its newest, the (previously rumored) NX100. It's the predictable successor to last year's NX10, offering a sleeker body, 14.6 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, a 3-inch VGA AMOLED display 'round back, an ISO range of 100 to 3200 (with a boost mode hitting 6400), 720p movie recording (H.264), SD / SDHC card slot, optional geo-tagging with GPS10 module and 'Sound Picture' mode that allows users to record audio when a photo is taken. The standout feature here, however, has little to do with the body itself; instead, it's the new i-Function lens system, which features a dedicated 'i-Function' button that allows users to scroll through manual settings, and a focus ring which is used to change parameters for each setting. Users can toggle between shutter speed, aperture, EV, WB, and ISO by simply using the i-Function button and ring on the lens, and it's a feature we're frankly desperate to try out ourselves. Sammy's planning to offer a variety of lenses for the NX100, including a 60mm macro, 18-200mm telephoto, 20mm wide-angle pancake and a 20-50mm compact zoom. The full details on the camera as well as the glass arrangement is just after the break, but good luck finding a price and release date. Depressing, we know. %Gallery-102062%
Spot the difference: HTC Desire's SLCD versus AMOLED
(function() { var s = document.createElement('SCRIPT'), s1 = document.getElementsByTagName('SCRIPT')[0]; s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.async = true; s.src = 'http://widgets.digg.com/buttons.js'; s1.parentNode.insertBefore(s, s1); })(); Digg If you'll recall, a little while back HTC waved its white flag amid AMOLED shortages and made the jump to the readily-available SLCD for its Desire and Nexus One handsets. As a quick recap, here's what CEO Peter Chou said about the swap: "The SLCD displays provide consumers with a comparable visual experience to HTC's current 3.7 inch displays with some additional benefits including battery performance." So, just how "comparable" is the SLCD? To find out, we picked up both flavors of the Desire to perform some comparison tests. Let's start off with the picture quality: what caught our attention straight away was how much sharper SLCD is, but alas, AMOLED is still in the lead for vibrancy and brightness. We dug a little deeper and learned that this has to do with the different pixel arrangements on the two types of panels -- unlike traditional TFT LCD panels, AMOLED's PenTile RGBG (red, green, blue, green, etc.) filter matrix utilizes just two subpixels per pixel instead of three in the same amount of space, thus allowing greater transmittance due to the larger red and blue subpixels. But obviously, the downside is that the pictures aren't as sharp as the denser-packed SLCD. Read on for more! %Gallery-101997%
Samsung Mobile Display promises 10x increase in production next year, end to AMOLED shortages
We already knew about Samsung's grand plans for expanding its display production in 2011, but now we also have a number to give us a sense of scale: 30 million. That's how many screens the new Mobile Display fab (set to go live in July) will be able to churn out in a month, a vastly superior rate than the current 3 million maximum. Lee Woo-Jong, the display business' marketing VP, tells us its estimates for AMOLED market demand have been revised upwards to 700 million units in 2015, with the new facility obviously being the key cog in making that growth happen. Intriguingly, he also notes that Super AMOLED -- one of the big attractions of the Galaxy S line of Samsung phones -- is not exclusive to Samsung's electronics arm, everyone can apparently use it. That directly contradicts what we heard from Sammy's mobile reps, but then this is hardly the first time that one part of Samsung doesn't know what the other is doing. Still, it's nice to at least dream of a S-AMOLED HTC HD7, no?
Bell HTC Legend prematurely put out to pasture due to AMOLED supply constraints?
It's a sad day for fans of Android, brushed aluminum exteriors, and retina-searing AMOLED displays. Bell's HTC Legend seems to have come to the end of its days, the provider moving the phone to "end of life" status due to "ongoing supply constraints from the manufacturer." Phandroid speculates this is due to AMOLED shortages slowing down HTC manufacturing, and that certainly seems like a reasonable conclusion. We also checked out some other suppliers of the phone and they too are not listing it in stock, so this could be a rather abrupt end of the road for one of the best looking, though not necessarily best performing, Android handsets. Update: David D. wrote in to point out this Forbes article pointing out that chip shortages could also be at least partly to blame here. [Thanks, Tati]
Samsung's Galaxy Tab said to be debuting at IFA next month
We'd already heard that Samsung's 7-inch Android-based tablet (apparently known as the Galaxy Tab) would be rolling out sometime in the third quarter of this year, and it looks like we now also know when it'll be making its official debut. According to South Korea's JoongAng Daily, an unnamed "high-ranking official" at Samsung has confirmed that the device will be officially unveiled at IFA, which kicks off September 3rd in Berlin. No more new details beyond that, unfortunately, but previous reports have suggested that the device will match its smartphone counterpart with an AMOLED display, and boast some decent specs across the board, including Android 2.2, a 1.2GHz Cortex A8 processor, 16GB of on-board memory, and both WiFi and 3G connectivity.
