Sharp’s IGZO at CES 2013

Posted on 07 January 2013, Last updated on 07 January 2013 by

igzo 2

Sharp’s press conference has just finished at CES 2013 and within it was one of the important technologies of 2013 when it comes to mobile devices and power consumption. IGZO.

As CPU, GPU and comms power requirements fall,  the screen becomes a very big, power-hungry issue. IGZO screen technology could really help extend in-use battery life and that’s why we’re watching it closely.

igzo 1

Sharp says that IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) can reduce panel power consumption by 80-90%. IGZO backplanes can be used with OLED type displays so it doesn’t have backlighting too – we’re talking about large amounts of power savings, especially when doing reading or typing operations where the screen can be using 30% of the power on an Ultrabook. You’ll even be able to leave a clock or have notifications on the screen when it’s in Connected Standby mode which could be a real advantage. IGZO can even maintain the onscreen data for a certain period of time without refreshing the data, even when the current is off.

As for Ultrabook collaborations, we haven’t heard about anything yet but we’re watching closely. We’re expecting it!

5 Comments For This Post

  1. curaga says:

    I really hope my next smartphone and notebook will have an IGZO or some other low power screen. On my phone, the screen shows as the number one drain on my battery by far. I’m sure it’s no different on my notebook. I don’t care about 1080p screens on phones and 11.6″ notebooks especially in sunlight with finger smudges on the screen.

  2. blade says:

    Sharp SH-02E IGZO Aquos Phone Zeta

    is the answer. Best smartphone out in the Japanese market. 1 charge = 50 hours

    You can get it at Kyoto Exports.

  3. Steve Chippy Paine says:

    50hrs, not bad. I get 3 days from my Nokia 808 though. OLED screen and unusable internet features is the answer!!!

  4. Me says:

    Is that 50 hours of screen on time?

  5. blade says:

    From Kyoex, it’s “upwards of 50 hours of use on 1 full charge”

    http://www.kyoex.com/sharp-sh-02e-igzo-aquos-phone-zeta/

    Also worth looking at are 2 reviews, as of now.

Find ultra mobile PCs, Ultrabooks, Netbooks and handhelds PCs quickly using the following links:

Acer C740
11.6" Intel Celeron 3205U
Acer Aspire Switch 10
10.1" Intel Atom Z3745
HP Elitebook 820 G2
12.5" Intel Core i5 5300U
Acer Aspire E11 ES1
11.6" Intel Celeron N2840
Acer C720 Chromebook
11.6" Intel Celeron 2955U
ASUS Zenbook UX305
13.3" Intel Core M 5Y10a
Dell Latitude E7440
14" Intel Core i5-4200U
Lenovo Thinkpad X220
12.5" Intel Core i5
Acer Chromebook 11 CB3-131
11.6" Intel Celeron N2807
Lenovo Ideapad Flex 10
10.1" Intel Celeron N2806