South Korean tech behemoths Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are set to roll out full high-definition (HD) smartphones in the first half (H1) of next year.

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics will be launching smartphones with full HD active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) and liquid-crystal display (LCD) screen displays in H1 next year, according to industry sources Tuesday. Together with Samsung and LG, handset makers at home and abroad are projected to launch full HD smartphones as handset makers rushed to release smartphones with high-resolution screens in droves.

Apple’s flagship smartphone iPhone, which is renowned for its clear images, has a pixel density of 326 pixel per inch (ppi). Smartphone displays over 300 ppi belong to the HD class in the handset industry.

Full HD resolution display, which will be loaded on LG Electronics’ smartphones to be launched next year, has a pixel density over 440 ppi. Compared to 40-inch full HD TVs, the display will present clearer images by five to six-folds.

Earlier in May, LG Display (LGD) unveiled a five-inch display panel with a density of 440 ppi for smartphones at an exhibition of the International Meeting on Information Display (IMID). LG Electronics will be manufacturing full HD smartphones in H1 next year, using the 440-ppi display panel supplied by LGD.

Samsung Electronics also plans to purchase full HD AMOLED display panels from Samsung Display to load them on its smartphones to be marketed in H1 next year. So far, the Galaxy Nexus (316 ppi) has had screen display with the highest level of ppi among smartphones launched by Samsung, but the screen display to be loaded on the new smartphone model will feature a pixel density over 400 ppi.

Reportedly, Pantech will be marketing full HD smartphone as early as the beginning of next year. In that case, Korea’s three handset makers will be competing in the full HD smartphone market in H1 next year.

Some overseas handset makers already started producing full HD smartphones. Taiwan’s HTC will be launching five-inch full HD smartphones in the Japanese market by December this year. Sony will also roll out the C650X Odin, a smartphone with five-inch HD displays, in around December.

However, smartphone makers have encountered a considerable setback in launching full HD smartphones as some component makers’ production was hindered by unexpected factors. For instance, troubled Japanese system chip maker Renesas Electronics is likely to be acquired by the Japanese government-backed fund. For this reason, Renesas’ supply of such components as driver integrated circuits (ICs) is forecast to be delayed.

Demand for driver ICs, which are used to power displays of smartphones and tablet PCs, has been on the rise and several manufacturers increased driver IC orders after setting a production schedule. However, as the world’s top driver IC maker is facing difficulties on the production side, handset makers are expected to experience supply shortage. Under such circumstances, Korean handset makers’ planned launches of full HD smartphones could be delayed, projected experts.

[Written by Dong-in Lee - Ha’eun Bang / edited by Soyoung Chung]

By 이지은

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