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전면지문인식 풀스크린 스마트폰 경쟁 시작

<전면지문인식을 탑재한 디스플레이가 적용된 VIVO의 스마트폰, Android authority>

스마트폰의 전면지문인식경쟁이 뜨거워질 것으로 예상된다.

기존 홈버튼이 있는 스마트폰에는 홈버튼에 전면 지문인식 센서를 탑재하여 제품이 출시되었다. 지문을 이용한 보안강화로 소비자들의 큰 호응을 얻었지만 최근 홈버튼이 없는 풀스크린 스마트폰 위주로 제품이 출시가 되며 지문인식 센서도 스마트폰의 뒷면으로 옮겨졌다. 이로 인해 지문인식 센서에 손가락을 터치할 때 불편한 손모양과 옆에 위치한 카메라렌즈에 지문이 묻는 등 단점이 발생했다.

이러한 점들을 개선하고 완벽한 풀스크린 스마트폰을 제조하기 위해 전면지문인식을 디스플레이와 일체화 시키려는 개발이 지속되고 있다.

전면 지문인식은 크게 광학식과 초음파식이 검토되고 있다. 광학식은 가격이 저렴하고 양산에 용이하지만, 센서가 OLED panel 하부에 위치해야 하므로 OLED 기판이 투명해야한다. 따라서 glass를 기판으로 사용하는rigid OLED에는 적용이 가능하지만 유색PI를 기판으로 사용하는 flexible OLED에는 적용이 어려운 상황이다. 초음파식은 정확성과 내구성이 가장 안정적이지만 제조가격이 비싸다는 단점이 있다.

현재 중국 set업체들은 광학식 전면 지문인식을 채택한 스마트폰 출시를 시작하였으며, 삼성전자에서 내년 출시예정인 galaxy S10에 초음파식 전면지문인식을 채택 여부가 관심을 모으고 있다. 또한 LG 디스플레이도 전면지문인식을 탑재한 디스플레이를 개발 중에 있는 것으로 알려졌다.

이처럼 풀스크린에 전면지문인식을 탑재한 스마트폰 출시가 본격화 될 것으로 기대되는 가운데 하반기 스마트폰 시장의 경쟁이 더욱 치열해 질 것으로 기대된다.

Who Will Get The First Full-Screen Display Smartphone Title, Samsung Or Apple?

Full-screen display smartphone is expected to be launched soon. According to the recent report ‘Key Issue and The Market Analysis for Foldable OLED – Flexible OLED Annual Report’ by UBI RESEARCH, a market survey company, left-right bezel-less flexible OLED dominate the smartphone market, and later full-screen display with minimized or without both left-right and up-down bezel will appear in 2017, thereby leading the future market.

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<Smartphone Display Development Trend Outlook>(Source: UBI RESEARCH)

The more specific circumstances were caught. Apple Insider announced that Apple recently applied for a design patent(US20150303244A1) of electronic devices with display-integrated light sensors, quoting the USPTO’s announcement on October 11(Local Time).

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<Design Drawing 1 of Apple’s Patent-Pending Electronic Devices with Display-Integrated Light Sensors>

Apple used the examples of the placement of Ambient Light Sensor or Proximity Sensor around the side of display, and of the protection of display and sensor circuit by glass or plastic transparent encapsulation layer. Apple Insider expects that this design will be able to reduce unnecessary space and make full-screen display possible.

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<Design Drawing 2 of Apple’s Patent-Pending Electronic Devices with Display-Integrated Light Sensors>

At the 2016 IMID Business Forum at COEX in Samseong-dong on October 26, Samsung Display chief expert, Park Won-sang announced display trend about screen size, which boosted confidence. Chief expert, Park Won-sang said that “Display size compared to set size is very important due to the characteristic of mobile phones with a size limit. The display area(hereinafter “D.A”) of edge display was 80%, full-screen mobile phone D.A was larger than 90%, and this is one of the major trends that will lead the market”. The techniques including an all-in-one glass fingerprint recognition module and an ultrasonic fingerprint recognition module have not been mentioned yet, but an entirely innovative full-screen smartphone will be introduced by removing left-right bezel as well going beyond the left-right bezel-less type of Note 7.

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<Samsung Display’s Presentation, 2016 IMID Business Forum>

LG also applied a patent of full-screen display. According to Patently Mobile’s report on June 2015, not physical but virtual button and App icon were applied. But, design itself cannot exactly show materials and interior parts except appearance, and it is now uncertain whether it will be developed or not as there is no further news after the patent application.

 

 

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<LG Electronics Granted Home-Buttonless Smartphone using Flexible Display>>(Source : Patently Apple)

Likewise, many smartphone companies are actively reviewing the introduction of full-screen display because it might allow customers to experience the biggest change in addition to the product’s immersive nature. Besides, there are recently some opinions that with the expanding VR market, OLED display without a latency issue and wider display area are necessary to be applied to HMD(Head Mounted Display) attached with a mobile phone.
Meanwhile, ‘Key issue and Market Analysis for Foldable OLED’ Report by UBI RESEARCH forecasted that full screen AMOLED panel will be firstly launched in 2017, accounting for 60% of the total flexible AMOLED panel market and going beyond the bezel-less type of flexible AMOLED panel market.

Meanwhile, ‘Key issue and Market Analysis for Foldable OLED’ Report by UBI RESEARCH forecasted that full screen AMOLED panel will be firstly launched in 2017, accounting for 60% of the total flexible AMOLED panel market and going beyond the bezel-less type of flexible AMOLED panel market.

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<Definition by Flexible OLED Type and Market Share Outlook >(Source: UBI RESEARCH)

Samsung Display, the market will move to Full Screen next to Edge

At 2016 IMID Business Forum having been held in Samsung-dong KOEX on October 26th, Senior Park Won-sang of Samsung Display expected that full screen market would lead next to Smart phone of edge designs.

Senior Park analyzes that mobile market will be core market of Display industry by saying “Super high-speed growth of Mobile market is being continues, and mobile market is expected to exceed TV market after 2016, following IT and TV.”

Specially, Senior Park Won-sang states that DA (Display size vs. set size, Display size/set size value) becomes important because Smartphone is portable and has limitations in sizes, and full screen Smartphone having DA of over 90% will lead the market after being released.

In addition, he emphasizes low electricity, sensor embedded, high solution, eye friendly etc. as core technology of mobile display, and stresses that AMOLED belongs to the display for most suitable mobile appliances.

On the other hand, the report “Key issue and Market Analysis for Foldable OLED’ having been published in August by UBi RESEARCH predicts that full screen AMOLED panel will be released first in 2017, and it overpasses flexible AMOLED panel market of Bezel Less type while occupying 60% of total flexible AMOLED panel market in 2020.

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<Samsung Display announcement date, 2016 IMID Business Forum>

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<Definition and Market share prospect by flexible OLED type (Source: UBi RESEARCH)>