What is microLED?

The main idea of microLED displays is to combine advantages OLED and LCD displays: higher contrast ratio, and high color saturation, high brightness, high energy efficiency and low latency. In the same time microLED avoiding disadvantages of those technologies. But what is trick? MicroLED itself technology of self-emissive display like OLED. In particular, it I set of independence sub-pixels which produce light of specified color. Necessary color based on combination of sub-pixel’s color. Similar idea used in LCD displays. In addition, technology allows to produce flexible displays. As result, application of such display is wider. First of all it can be used VR (Oculus bought one of microLED productions), of cause different TV (LG and Samsung are owners of such technology), smartphones (guess who? Apple), even clothes and other devices which need energy efficiency (like smart watches).

Basically technology is not new. First concepts was “Crystal LED” by Sony and it has been shown in 2012 presented by Sony. According to their specifications it has color variance in 3.5 time higher and latency in 10 times faster than LCD. It was just concept without mass production. As any new technology it has to spread. As any technology it has disadvantage: complexity of creation big displays. Current solution is using of combined displays. It has been used as advantage. Sellers claim that you can get display of any form (16:9, 19:10 and etc.).

According to promises, technological complexity worth it. MicroLED should consume 90% lower energy in comparison with LCD and 50% in comparison with OLED. The same brightness for lower power. Also, technology promise extended lifetime without degradation in comparison with OLED. Size of pixel is 1/10 of human’s hair. It provides creation of small displays with high resolution. Obviously initial price will be high, but after some such displays will be cheaper.

In my opinion, first of all this technology will improve life of laptop and smartphone users. Battery life time is so important in modern life that require mobility and “power socket independence”. In combination with new generation of batteries we will able to have ultimate mobility.