In the Mobile Display Report (MDR) we focus on emerging mobile display technology and market segments, especially those on the cusp of breaking out of R&D and looking for new application and investment opportunities. Our team of editors in their respective technology areas, step back and look at the events of the month to figure out what all the individual press announcements, new product introductions and related and news items mean. Here is a quick summary of some of those trends and events, with some speculation on the impact in the months ahead.

Steve Sechrist
Senior Analyst and Editor

For example, in laser technology we report on Finland based EpiCrystals work on a simple energy-efficient, frequency-doubled laser, which leads to a very wide spectral bandwidth output. This is very handy when looking to reduce speckle, which they claim is down by a whopping 80%. The technology is based on SESAM (saturable absorber mirror) that’s used in a double cavity integrated bottom-emitting (called DeCIBEL) architecture. The high power densities allow for very high frequency doubling conversion based on amplified spontaneous emission. Other benefits include a simple design with only two optical components so this technology is creating a lot of buzz — and potential demand from the pico projector community. As a result, the CEO claims the technology is likely to be "production limited, not demand limited".

Other activity in pico projectors include write ups on new entrants in the category such as BeamBox, a new Samsung integrated pico now in a second phone, this one a slick new smartphone; and somewhat of a mystery, is technology in a pico projector from Israel based Maradin.

UK based BeamBox has an end of March launch date set for its (relatively) high brightness (30 lumen) pico projector, set to sell at about $360. This is a gen II device based on a VGA LCoS panel and powered by a single white LED. Impressive to get so much output from this design–and we wonder about the particular challenges in getting the color right using these components.

Samsung is also on the pico radar screen with their next iteration of a built in pico/smartphone offering. The first gen (MBP200) was only on sale in S. Korea, but the company has now decided to launch that first gen device into the European market this May. They also showed off a pico embedded Smartphone (iPhone look alike) at MWC (Mobile World Congress) with the promise of a Summer launch. This bodes well for the category, as Samsung seems to be using pico projection to help differentiate its products in worldwide markets. It also helps the Samsung cause, that Smartphones are the only growing segment in the wireless phone space right now. Suffice it to say 2009 is shaping up as the year the pico projector finally breaks out. Even in this financially challenging economy, we should know by the end of the year if the technology really has legs (as we think it does) or if it is simply a technology answer looking for a problem to solve.

Another key emerging technology area that got a lot of ink, was flexible displays. There was plenty to report on both in component, manufacturing and raw display panel progress this month. Coverage includes a detailed discussion of manufacturing and commercialization issues, particularly barrier layers, moisture penetration and even oxygen in manufacturing flex encapsulation systems. We track significant progress, but the topic and coverage depth both serve to illustrate just how far from high production yields we still may be. For example, GE named moisture as the primary cause of remaining degradation issues for its OLED commercial lighting panels. Meanwhile, companies like 3M weigh in with their rolls and sheets of barrier film, and a new (licensed) technology from Vitex may have all the specs lined up to beat this challenge, but the catch, they do not sell a product, but rather license a technology that requires a significant capex investment.

No doubt flexible displays will become part of our culture in the not too distant future, as these technical production problems get ironed out. For now the point is we may still be at the bleeding edge for flex display commercialization. Case in point, the long awaited flexible cell phone e-book reader from Polymer Vision, the Readius, was set to ship to Italia Telecom (Italy wireless company) first by mid-2008, then late-2008. Now we learn the product launch was delayed yet again until 2009.

Beyond ambient encapsulation issues, we look at the popular flexible manufacturing methods from key players including HP (SAIL) NexTech (Roll to roll vs. Sheet to sheet), ITRI (Flex TFT fab) and Samsung (Ultra thin substrate), just to name a few. And don’t forget the display panels coming off these lines. PVI, Plastic Logic, Polymer Vision, LG and more are all covered in this month’s issue. There is also a special roadmap review from foundation technology provider E Ink with some surprising application ideas moving well into the next decade.

And that’s the point. What technology will dominate the 2010’s? Chances are you are reading about it right here. No one covers emerging technology like Insight Media–so pick up a copy of our latest report and read all about it, read about the future of displays and how they can affect your future, and empower you to manage change.