Japan’s Sharp has announced that it has created 4K smartphone screen – the first smartphone screen capable of showing images in 4K resolution. The 5.5in (14cm) component packs in 806 pixels per inch.
That outclasses Samsung’s new flagship model by a wide margin. The Galaxy S6 offers 577ppi on a slightly smaller display.
4K smartphone screen will offer higher resolutions with more detail, typically producing crisper images and text. But experts say there is a limit to what the human eye can appreciate.
“At a certain point, the improvements get less visually stunning,” Tim Coulling from the Canalys tech consultancy told the BBC. “Once you jump from 2K to 4K, you’re going to struggle to tell the two images apart even if you have perfect vision.”
4K – which is also known as ultra-high definition – offers four times the resolution of 1080p HD.
Several TV and projector manufacturers are promoting the new format as being ideal for 55in or bigger televisions that families can sit close to, and cinema screens.
One challenge with introducing it to a handset is that higher resolutions typically take a greater toll on battery life.
But Sharp promotes the Igzo (Indium gallium zinc oxide) tech used in the displays as being more energy efficient than the silicon-based LCD screens commonly used in smartphones and tablets, which should help offset their power demands.
With smartphones becoming capable of filming in 4K, Mr Coulling also suggested there would be an energy trade-off that could benefit users watching back such videos. “You will be able to show 4K content natively on the screen, which means you won’t need to process it to get it to display properly.”