Sharp developed a new LCD for mobile equipment such as mobile phones. The new LCD features the industry’s highest contrast ratio of 2,000:1, a viewing angle of 176 degrees, and a response time of 8 ms.

One-Seg-compatible mobile phones are capable of receiving terrestrial digital TV broadcasts. The total number of shipments of such phones is expected to surpass 10 million in Japan this summer. Because similar broadcasting service has already started in Europe and the US, world demand for mobile phones able to receive digital TV broadcasting is expected to increase.

By fusing high-resolution liquid-crystal-system technology with high-quality display technology cultivated through the development of AQUOS LCD TVs, Sharp has developed a new 2.2’’, 240 x 320 (QVGA) LCD for mobile equipment that boasts an image quality nearly as high as that of LCD TVs. The new LCD allows users to see clearer, more colorful images than can be seen on conventional mobile equipment.

This autumn, Sharp is scheduled to make a sample shipment of the new LCDs for One-Seg-compatible mobile phones. Sharp will then use the new LCDs to expand its lineup of mobile phones and to further develop the application of these new LCDs in digital cameras.

In the future, Sharp will develop LCDs based on new technologies not only for large LCDs for TVs but also for small and medium-size applications and will contribute to further advances in mobile equipment.