Even before the launch of the iPad 3, it was rumored that Sharp would produce IGZO displays for the Apple company, and today the rumors have come true, but only partially because Sharp announced that it started producing IGZO Hi-DPI screens on an industrial scale. In the image above, you can see the models of screens produced by Sharp and the resolutions at which they would work, and you can see that the first two models have Retina resolution, the 10-inch model having a higher resolution than the Retina screen available in the iPad 3.
Sharp said the new technology allows for twice the detail of existing panels at the same transparency, which means high-resolution devices can be designed that require less power and space for backlighting. The company said the new displays cut power consumption by up to 90 percent versus those currently in use. Less lighting and smaller battery requirements allow for thinner devices, and analysts have said Apple will use IGZO displays in its upcoming products, including its highly-anticipated entry into the smart TV market.
The IGZO screens produced by Sharp offer images that have a much better quality than those reproduced by other screens available on the market, but they would also be somewhat thinner than those of the competition. It is still rumored that Apple would use Sharp screens in its future TV, but what the company announced today seems far from being specially thought for an Apple product considering that the screens have a maximum size of only 32 inches. There is a possibility that in the future Sharp will expand its offer, but for now I think that we could soon see tablets with 10-inch screens and 2560 x 1600 resolution on the market.
