5G is expected to take off in 2020, with higher AMOLED and 120Hz refresh rate panel adoption to go along with it.
5G to see higher 120Hz refresh rate panel adoption
According to the DigiTimesreport, 5G brings faster data speeds, which will increase the quality of viewing content. Quality viewing content involves not only data speeds but also refresh rates. Refresh rate refers to the time in which on-screen content refreshes.
5G’s faster data speeds will mandate that content refresh faster. With lots of action-packed content, faster refresh rates will be in higher demand. Average screen content has a 60Hz refresh rate. Android smartphones are now adopting 90Hz and 120Hz refresh rates. Samsung’s Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra have 120Hz refresh rates, the latest in the consumer smartphone trend.
Gaming smartphones have heralded the faster refresh rate trend. With faster gaming content with improved graphics and on-screen actions, game phone makers see the trend as a necessity. Android smartphone makers see the gaming trend and consider it vital to keep their phones competitive against game phones.
5G to lead higher AMOLED panel adoption
Along with 5G’s faster data speeds and increasing refresh rate panels, the demand for AMOLED panel adoption will grow as well. AMOLED panels provide vivid colors and color contrast that make the viewing experience even better. It’s no secret that Samsung has led the way in AMOLED panel adoption for years, placing AMOLED panels on its Galaxy series as early back as the Galaxy S ten years ago. Thanks to 5G, more Android handset makers will embrace the inevitable display trend.
AMOLED panels provide viewing angles and color reproduction that LCDs (liquid crystal diode) can’t replicate. In a class by themselves, the color quality of AMOLEDs is the best one can get in the mobile industry.
Additionally, while AMOLED panels are excellent for colors and viewing angles, they are also the top panel choice for another reason: their battery-saving capacity. AMOLED panels provide their own in-built lighting. Alternatively, LCDs require a backlight to be placed inside the display. Unfortunately, they consume more battery than AMOLEDs.
VR/AR displays with higher resolutions
Virtual reality and augmented reality are two areas that will see higher screen resolutions as 5G adoption goes mainstream. Anyone that uses VR gaming on smartphones realizes the necessity of higher resolutions for gaming content. With gaming content close to one’s eyes (smartphone VR), users can see how pixelated current smartphone games are. Even Quad HD+ resolution on the Galaxy S20 series isn’t good enough for virtual reality.
Samsung has created its own Mixed Reality (MR) headset that makes room for both VR and AR. VR, AR, and Mixed Reality headsets, moving forward, will demand higher screen resolutions. With better resolution, one can better appreciate the viewing experience.
And yes, the connected car industry (smart cars) will mandate better screen resolution, among other things, for connected vehicle applications that will utilize 5G data speeds for on-the-go communication.
5G AMOLED 120Hz panel adoption to result in higher prices industrywide
A number of consumers want technology to climb higher and higher, but there’s a higher price tag that goes along for the ride, too. AMOLED panels cost more than LCDs and LCDs are easier (and cheaper) to mass-produce. Cheaper screens will go the way of the dinosaur as the industry moves to AMOLED screens. 120Hz refresh rates will demand higher pricing, as the technology is fairly new to smartphone makers. VR/AR headsets will increase in price as screen resolutions and 5G connectivity become the newest trends. 5G is responsible for price increases, as the 5G-capable Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 20 models reveal from last year.
The greater the technology, the greater the price tag. This has always been the case in tech, and it will continue through this new decade of the twenty-first century.