Japan Display's Upcoming Touch Screens Feature Slimmer Bezels, Wet Finger Support

Friday February 12, 2016 11:02 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple supplier Japan Display revealed some details on its second-generation "Pixel Eyes" LCD modules over the holidays, providing us with a look at some of the ways the display industry is advancing. Japan Display's "Pixel Eyes" modules incorporate touch functionality into the display, and in the second-generation model, there are some exciting improvements.

Using a new sensor structure and new materials, Japan Display has managed to decrease the thickness of the bezel, going from 0.8mm to 0.5mm. A deeper black level is available, and the display can accept input with a stylus as narrow as 1mm for finer detail when drawing or writing.

Perhaps the most intriguing feature in the LCD module is its ability to operate with wet fingers. Many current smartphone screens are unable to work accurately under water and when fingers are wet as water is capacitive and confuses the built-in touch sensors.

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iPhones, iPads, and the Apple Watch, for example, don't respond well to touch with wet fingers or when placed in water, so technology like this could be essential if Apple wants to have a functional display in a device advertised as "waterproof." Some iPhone 7 rumors have indicated the next-generation iPhone could be a waterproof device.

In a report earlier this week, The Motley Fool highlighted Japan Display's second-generation "Pixel Eyes" technology and the possibility it could be included in the iPhone 7. Volume shipments on the displays will begin during the current quarter, making them available for possible inclusion in the iPhone 7 when Apple begins ramping up production during the summer months.

While Japan Display is one of Apple's suppliers, it is not entirely clear if Japan Display screens are used in the iPhone and if the second-generation Pixel Eyes display technology will be used in future products. There have been rumors suggesting Apple and Japan Display have partnered up for a $1.7 billion display plant to produce screens for iPhones in 2016, so it's not out of the question that we'll see Japan Display screens in the iPhone 7 or the iPhone 7s.

Regardless of whether Japan Display's technology ends up in the iPhone, the advancements made by the company serve as an interesting glimpse at features that could be adopted more widely by the display industry in the future, eventually making their way into Apple's devices.

Tag: Japan Display Inc
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Benjamin Frost
50 months ago
Still too much bezel. Don't want any.

Water fingers sounds good.
Rating: 6 Votes
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Chupa Chupa
50 months ago
Maybe it's just that Valentines day is so close, but that headline feels dirty. :D
Rating: 6 Votes
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gsmornot
50 months ago
If they apply this to the Touch ID that would be nice. If my finger is wet at all it will not read my print and unlock. Dry finger, quick open. Wet finger, no open.
Rating: 6 Votes
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cmChimera
50 months ago
Thinner bezels yaayyyy.
Rating: 3 Votes
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nepalisherpa
50 months ago
Ive - "Slimmer bezels are good but how I can I continue making the devices thinner?" :(
Rating: 3 Votes
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B4U
50 months ago
Would this technology also work on the touch ID?
I can't unlock the phone right out of shower when my fingers are slightly damp...
Hopefully I am not the only one facing this issue.
Rating: 3 Votes
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blacktape242
50 months ago
"wet finger support" hehehehe
Rating: 3 Votes
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andiwm2003
50 months ago
Stylus with 1 mm tip! If that would work with any stylus that would be huge. With the iPad Pro having a stylus Apple might be in general open to that.
Rating: 2 Votes
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Bubba Satori
50 months ago

Not Samsung!

To go to OLED they would likely have to go back to Samsung.


Why is that a problem?
Rating: 2 Votes
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Vanilla35
50 months ago

Are we talking about the height of the phone here? The wide dimension bezel of the phone is already as small a bezel as can be, maybe a some trivial size reduction there.
I haven't seen people holding the phone on top and bottom bezel, I don't think the slim bezel on top and bottom can be an ergonomic issue.
The only issue with the height that I can think of is pocket-ability of the phone. Another reason is probably psychological - aesthetic reason, want the phone to look cool. Is that why people demand thinner bezels, because it might look the so called 'cool'?


I was speaking about the side bezel. While "small" already, I much more prefer the aesthetic of LG G2/G3 in terms of the slightly smaller bezel on left and right size. It does not seem very different at first, but it makes a big difference. Also; if you take a look at Japanese and Chinese phone manufacturers, you'll see where we're headed. It looks amazing, and can't wait until the iPhone follows suit: Link 1 ('http://cdn2.ubergizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/serendipity-s7-640x640.jpg') - Link 2 ('http://www.pakorbit.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/r7-bezel-less-video.jpg') - Link 3 ('http://cdn01.androidauthority.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Oppo-bezelless-1-710x533.jpg') - the last 2 links are Oppo's bezel-less phone. Looks incredible.

One can argue about how the size bezel is useful for not accidentally touching the screen and stuff, but software will take over the need for that, as it already has for the most part.

Aside from that, I wanted to leave you with one last thing: Link 4 ('http://www.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/styles/xlarge_wm_brw/public/field/image/2015/01/fake_iphone_slim_bezel_mockup.jpg?itok=neA4h9vr')

The 4.7 inch iPhone, without them bezels. All of a sudden, people don't care so much about the 4.0" phone anymore. Imo, if they shrunk it to 4.5" and made it the current 5S size, it would be perfect. But at this point (considering how outrageously huge the bezels are on the 6/6S, and definitely 6/6S+) when they put TouchID in the screen they can shave a ton of size away when they cut down on bezel size (both top and bottom).
Rating: 2 Votes

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