In five years, we may all be laughing at our "low" resolution QuadHD smartphone displays.
Samsung is developing an 11K "super-resolution" display with an absolutely insane pixel density of 2,250 ppi (pixels per inch), according to ET News.
Based on a 16:9 aspect ratio, an 11K display with that pixel density would measure 5.74 inches diagonal, with a resolution of 11,264 х 6,336. The screen will also reportedly display content in 3D. "Because 11K is able to show screen colors in detail, it is able to show 3D-effect," the report says, which seems to imply the screen will be able to produce 3D images that won't require special glasses.
Development reportedly began last month on June 1. Samsung Display won't be working on development of the 11K display alone -- it's collaborating with the South Korean government, which has invested $26.5 million in the project, and 13 other companies to produce the display within five years.
Samsung is hoping to show off a prototype of the display to the public by the time the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics roll around.
To say an 11K phone display sounds like overkill is an understatement, but Samsung Display Base Technology Department executive director Chu Hye Yong says "Although some might think that 11K as ‘over specification’ that consumers do not need, this can work as a basis for Korean display industry [to] take another leap if related materials and parts improve through this."
Full HD (1080p) and QuadHD (1,440p) smartphone screens are the norm right now on top-of-the-line flagships, but 4K phones with 806ppi screens are right around the corner.
With more pixels to push, higher resolution displays usually suck more power. Let's hope Samsung figures out how to make the display energy-efficient or invents a battery breakthrough by the time it's ready to launch.