LG Display Borrows Smartphone Tech To Make Thinner And Lighter Notebook Touchscreens
Notebook screens will be getting even slimmer, thanks to a touch screen technology from LG Display. The Advanced In-Cell (AIT) panels have already appeared on the LG G4 and other smartphones, but this is the first time that the technology will be used on larger devices like notebooks.
AIT shaves as much as a millimeter off the thickness of an ordinary notebook screen. That may not sound like much of a difference, but notebook sizes and weights have become factors in many buyers’ purchasing decisions, so competition among manufacturers has been focused on those areas. AIT hits both size and weight for notebooks – it can reduce a 15.6-inch notebook’s weight by as much as 200 grams (7.05 ounces), according to LG.
AIT-based displays are thinner because the touch technology is embedded in the display. Many notebook displays that support touch have an extra layer that provides touch sensitivity. That layer can reduce the brightness of a screen and makes the display slightly thicker.
The AIT technology also solves a small, but annoying problem: most screens lose some touch accuracy while water drops are present. Touch your screen right after holding a drink in the summer and the display essentially gets confused. LG says that its AIT screens are capable of accurately reading touches and swipes even when water droplets are on the screen. The company is also working on a way to create a stylus-friendly AIT screen.
LG hasn’t said yet which companies are placing orders for the notebook, but says that it has agreements with several brands for 14-inch and 15.6-inch models.
AIT shaves as much as a millimeter off the thickness of an ordinary notebook screen. That may not sound like much of a difference, but notebook sizes and weights have become factors in many buyers’ purchasing decisions, so competition among manufacturers has been focused on those areas. AIT hits both size and weight for notebooks – it can reduce a 15.6-inch notebook’s weight by as much as 200 grams (7.05 ounces), according to LG.
AIT-based displays are thinner because the touch technology is embedded in the display. Many notebook displays that support touch have an extra layer that provides touch sensitivity. That layer can reduce the brightness of a screen and makes the display slightly thicker.
The AIT technology also solves a small, but annoying problem: most screens lose some touch accuracy while water drops are present. Touch your screen right after holding a drink in the summer and the display essentially gets confused. LG says that its AIT screens are capable of accurately reading touches and swipes even when water droplets are on the screen. The company is also working on a way to create a stylus-friendly AIT screen.
LG hasn’t said yet which companies are placing orders for the notebook, but says that it has agreements with several brands for 14-inch and 15.6-inch models.
