Tag Archives: e ink

Flexible, curved, bendable displays at turning point for fast growth

June 9, 2016

Flexible display is at the turning point for fast growth. We can see this trend at SID 2016 DisplayWeek.

Japan Display Inc. (JDI) showcased several curved AMOLED displays. Two of the curved AMOLED were in a glass box. Another curved AMOLED demo is integrated with a curved touch screen on it.

E Ink showed large size flexible active matrix electrophoretic display.

FlexEnable showcased flexible LCD for wrist wearable devices.

In the “Flexible, Curved, and Bendable Display Technologies and Market Forecast Report.” (Second Edition), Touch Display Research analyzed over 10 display technologies, over 14 applications of flexible displays, and shows how the flexible display market is accelerating. This report profiles over 270 companies working on flexible displays.

OLED is the most researched with 46 companies and research institutes working on it. Touch Display Research believes there are strong opportunities for flexible LCD as well since it could be lower cost than flexible AMOLED.

Touch Display Research forecasts that the flexible display market will reach $30 Billion by 2025.

Figure 1. Flexible, curved and bendable display market forecast to 2025

flexible 2016 forecast with TDR

Source: Touch Display Research, Flexible, Curved and Bendable Display Technologies and Market Forecast 2015 Report, second edition

Flexible display could be used in four types of form factors: bendable dynamic, foldable dynamic, fixed curved, flat with flexible substrate. Currently, flexible displays are already shipping in large volumes. We forecast that flexible, curved and bendable displays will have tremendous growth in the next several years.

Flexible, curved and bendable displays still face many challenges. Over 10 display technologies could be made into flexible curved bendable form factors. Challenges and opportunities are analyzed in the report.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Jennifer Colegrove and team

E Ink and Polyera Bendable Watch

February 1, 2016

At CES 2016, Touch Display Research had a chance to try on the bendable watch from E Ink and Polyera: Wove band.

Figure: I’m trying on the bendable watch from E Ink and Polyera

polyera wove on my wrist

Photo by: Touch Display Research, 2016

As we covered in October 2015 “Touch and Emerging Display” report, Polyera announced debut of its first flexible watch, which was also reported by Zegarki: the Wove Band. It uses a flexible electrophoretic display with a TFT backplane that can wrap around a wrist or be used flat. The display has 1040×200 pixel format.

Polyera indicated the bendable watch is coming in 2016. Polyera was founded 10 years ago by CEO Phil Inagaki and Antonio Facchetti, co-founder and chief scientific officer. Currently, they have over 100 people.

In the “Flexible, Curved, and Bendable Display Technologies and Market Forecast 2015 Report.” (Second Edition), Touch Display Research analyzed over 10 display technologies, over 14 applications of flexible displays, and shows how the flexible display market is accelerating. This report profiles over 270 companies working on flexible displays.

Touch Display Research forecasts that the flexible display market will reach $30 Billion by 2025.

Figure 2. Flexible, curved and bendable display market forecast to 2025

flexible 2015 forecast

Source: Touch Display Research, Flexible, Curved and Bendable Display Technologies and Market Forecast 2015 Report, second edition, 2015

The Flexible Curved Bendable Display Technologies and Market Forecast 2015 report is available immediately and includes a PowerPoint file (over 450 pages) and an Excel database. You can subscribe on our website in the Market Research Report page or contact us by email: jc@touchdisplayresearch.com

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer and team

YotaPhone with two displays at MWC 2014

February 24, 2014

Today at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014, YotaPhone and Cypress announced features on the 2nd generation YotaPhone: larger and better displays and both displays will have full touch screen.

Here is the spec comparison of the first and second generation YotaPhone:

Yota 1st and 2nd spec comp

Source: Yota Devices, compiled by Touch Display Research, Feb 2014

YotaPhone stands out from the crowd with its low power secondary display on the back, which is made by E Ink.

Touch Display Research believes flexible, thin, low power, good sunlight readability display will be suitable for secondary, cover display. For example, in a bright sunny day, when it’s hard to see the information on your mobile phone’s LCD or AMOLED display, you can use your secondary display to show the mobile phone information. In the “Flexible and Curved Display Technologies and Market Forecast” report, Touch Display Research forecast secondary display will have rapid growth from 2014.

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer and team

Possibilities for Samsung’s Curved-Display Technology

September 27, 2013

This week Samsung’s head of mobile business marketing, Mr. Lee, announced they are planning to launch a mobile phone with a curved display in October, but gave no specifics on the display. Touch Display Research believes that three types of display are suitable for flexible/curved display on mobile phones: curved AMOLED, curved LCD, and curved electrophoretic active matrix.

Figure. Flexible and Curved Display Suitable for Mobile Phone Main Display

Curved display for mobile phone

Source: Touch Display Research, Flexible and curved display technologies and market forecast, September, 2013

Samsung has registered the trade mark “YOUM” for its flexible AMOLED. Rumors floated around before the release of the Galaxy Note III that it would be the first device with a flexible AMOLED, but that didn’t happen. Samsung also demonstrated a flexible LCD several years ago.

Touch Display Research believes the eco-system for flexible and curved displays is maturing. We forecast that the flexible and curved display market will reach $27 Billion by 2023, which is about 16% market share of the global display revenue in 2023. More analysis of curved display and curved touch panel can be found in our newly published Flexible and Curved Display Technologies and Market Forecast 2013 report.

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer and team

Sony moving in the right direction: Emerging displays and touch playing a key role

August 5, 2013

Sony Corporation has lost money five years in a row. However, during both this May and August Sony announced good news: it swung back to a profit in its fiscal fourth quarter (FYQ4 ended on March 31st) and fiscal first quarter (FYQ1 ended on June 30th). The main contribution to this new profitability is “lifted by the first black ink in 3 years at its long-struggling TV business” as indicated by Wall Street Journal on August 1.

So far, I think the new CEO Kazuo Hirai is steering Sony in the right direction, and emerging display and touch technologies are playing a key role:

  • As we covered in the monthly “Touch and Emerging display report”, Sony has released several 4K TVs. Sony has adopted QD Vision’s quantum dots on some of its TVs for better color and lower power consumption.
  • Sony is still manufacturing AMOLED professional monitors and successfully selling these at high price, leading to profitability
  • Sony is planning a flexible e-Paper display (from E Ink) tablet with pen-writing function by end of this year.
  • Sony added more pen-writing notebook PCs.
  • Recently Sony has unveiled SmartWatch 2 with a larger 1.6” 220×176 touch display (the original SmartWatch has a 1.3” 128X128 OLED display).

Figure: Sony upcoming flexible display tablet with pen

E ink Sony Mobius

Photo by: Touch Display Research Inc.

Although a profitable quarter is good news, the profit of FYQ1 is only 3.5 billion Yen, a 0.2% profit margin. It is still left to be seen if Sony can maintain profitability the entire fiscal year.

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer and team

 

E Ink Flexible and Color Displays Leap Ahead at SID 2013 Displayweek

May 23, 2013

I’m in beautiful Vancouver, BC this week to attend and give a speech at the SID 2013 Displayweek conference.

At E Ink’s exhibition booth, their director of product management Giovanni showed me several flexible electrophoretic display products and color displays. As I blogged in January, flexible and color displays were the main focus of E Ink at the Flextech Alliance’s Flexible Display 2013 conference, but at this SID is one big leap ahead. The flexible display jumped from a 4.3” active matrix announced in January, to 13.3” flexible active matrix in this May demonstration. The color display added the three color pigment, which they called “Spectra.”

Figure: E Ink booth at SID 2013 Displayweek conference

E ink spectra

Source: Jennifer Colegrove

How does E Ink’s “Spectra” work, and how fast does it switch? When will E Ink’s flexible active matrix display be on the market? What’s the technology used in the 13.3” flexible active matrix display? What’s the flexible active matrix display roadmap through 2015? A detailed analysis will be in the upcoming “Touch and Emerging Display Monthly Report”, May 2013 issue.

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer and team