Kogakuin University and Fujitsu Ltd. both based out of Japan, are reportedly in the process of developing new technology that can allow smartphone displays to natively operate at the 4K resolution, without any significant impact on battery life. Meaning, devices sporting such displays will not have to worry about downscaling to 1080p to conserve power, which is what happens with the only smartphone that currently claims to come with a 4K display. That device happens to be the Xperia Z5 Premium, which was launched by Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Sony Corp. back in September. The report further indicates that the upcoming technology, currently under the final stages of testing before being rolled out commercially, will allow such 4K displays to operate at a steady 30 fps, without the need for any more power than a standard 1080p smartphone display of today.
Kogakuin University reportedly began its research on the project as far back as in 2012, and its findings have even been implemented in the ‘FE’ series of specialized 4K video units manufactured and marketed by Japanese electronics company, Keisoku Giken. Now, thanks to Fujitsu, the technology has been simplified enough to be applied in mainstream consumer products like smartphones, where 4K can now be implemented as a real-time technology with the help of software optimization, without requiring any additional hardware. While the technology is still in its nascent stages, sections of the tech media seem to believe that the results of the research from Kogakuin and Fujitsu, represent the most feasible way of bringing real-time 4K technology to smaller handheld and portable devices like smartphones and tablets.
As for the display on Sony’s Xperia Z5, the company has officially confirmed to the media that the supposed 4K display on the company’s current flagship phablet doesn’t always operate at that resolution to increase energy efficiency. According to a statement from the company, “Xperia Z5 Premium features a 4K display with a resolution of 3840—2160 pixels based on SID Standard and enables all video and image content to be enjoyed in 4K resolution. All other content is displayed at 1080P or lower resolution in order to optimize the performance and battery stamina for this device, ensuring you can enjoy the 4K resolution when you need it most”.