All iPads IGZO Display: Have You Ever Seen One on Another Device?

[FrankB1191]

I've asked this in a few threads dealing with uneven lighting/hue on the Air and rMini, but no response yet. The research I've done shows that very few devices use this display, at least outside the Asian market. One of IGZO's features on the Air and rMini is a single light bar, and I'm wondering if this isn't what is causing the uneven image that people have reported.

From AppleInsider Nov 11, 2011:

"Apple leaning toward dual-LED light bars for iPad 3's Retina Display
By AppleInsider Staff

With Apple's next-generation iPad expected to adopt much higher resolution displays, the electronics maker and its component suppliers are reportedly challenged with designing new backlight solutions capable of maintaining the tablet's existing level of brightness with the higher density panels.

Citing sources within Apple's Taiwanese supply chain, DigiTimes claims that the single LED back-light bar designed for the iPad 2's 1024 x 768 resolution display is insufficient for maintaining and strengthening the brightness of the iPad 3's planned upgraded to a double pixel density "Retina Display" long rumored to be in the ballpark of 2048 by 1536 pixels.

As such, LED back-light unit (BLU) vendors have reportedly pitched two alternative solutions to the Cupertino-based company, including a new design that maintains a single-bar form factor but with two LED chips nestled inside.

Apple, however, is said to be leading towards a second option that proposes using dual-LED light bars inside the iPad 3 — one on the left and one on the right — now that the BLU makers have reportedly conquered initial design glitches that created heat dissipation and battery consumption problems earlier in their development.

Difficulty with the higher resolution displays and new LED backlight design is already reported to have "affected the launch schedule" of the iPad 3. Still, necessary components for the tablet's production have been arriving at Apple's overseas manufacturing facilities since the end of October, as Apple reportedly aspires to pre-construct roughly 2 million of the new tablets by the end of December in anticipation of a launch in March of 2012.

In addition to the higher resolution displays, the next iPad is also rumored to adopt a quad-core A6 processor based on either Samsung's or TSMC's 28-nanometer processing technology. Other rumored enhancements include a redesigned, smaller dock connector that will allow Apple to continue to shave down the tablet's thickness, and a thinner, lighter battery pack meeting CTIA IEE 1625 standard for better quality and safety reliability that will reportedly offer a longer service life than the battery found in the iPad 2."

In the article above, the iPad 2's single backlight bar was insufficient for a retina display. A lot of people were clamoring for IGZO displays on the latest iPad, but I'm wondering if anyone here had ever seen one before. I'm also wondering if the single light bar in thee IGZO display has anything to do with the slight yellow hue many here are reporting on the left side of the screen. My Air displays this tint on some sites with a white background, but not on a colored test background. Is it possible that this is simply the way a IGZO display with a single light bar appears?

This is not meant to be a trash/defend thread, and if anyone can help us to better understands IGZO displays, those responses would be terrific. Let's try to stay tech, rather than angry here, and address the question posed. Please.......

*My Air has a slight yellow hue on the left hand side, portrait orientation, but it's not a big deal for me, and is only visible on some sites. This site makes it more visible than any other site, and I have no idea why.

Edit: If you do see a yellow hue/tint on the left side of your display, try tilting the right side away from your face. When I do this, the yellow hue actually turns blue! It doesn't need to be tilted more than an inch. Bring up your keyboard in landscape, and watch the space bar as you tilt it slightly closer to your chin. I'm doing it as I type this, and it goes from slight yellow to slight blue with less than an inch of movement.

 

[Fattytail]

Interesting question. I can say without question that the yellow hue isn't a characteristic of IGZO displays, simply because I'm holding an Air that isn't yellow anywhere on the screen. White uniformity is quite good.

Mine though does exhibit a very slight darkening on the left side when held in portrait mode. The opposite side tends to be slightly brighter and I'm wondering if that's where the LEDs are and if this slight unevenness in brightness is something we just need to accept with IGZO displays. Again, not a huge issue, but certainly noticeable on websites with white backgrounds and ebooks.

 

[mcdj]

IGZO and the amount/direction/position of LEDs used to illuminate a panel are two different discussions AFAIK.

The article you quote doesn't mention IGZO. Only you make a correlation with single LED bars and IGZO. The IGZO panel implementation in the iPad Mini, if there even is one (the Display Mate report does not specify) may be lit by a single LED, but that doesn't make it a feature of IGZO.

 

[Fattytail]

IGZO and the amount/direction/position of LEDs used to illuminate a panel are two different discussions AFAIK.

The article you quote doesn't mention IGZO. Only you make a correlation with single LED bars and IGZO. The IGZO panel implementation in the iPad Mini, if there even is one (the Display Mate report does not specify) may be lit by a single LED, but that doesn't make it a feature of IGZO.

Technically, you're probably right that IGZO and the number of LEDs are two separate issues. But practically speaking for the purposes of iPads, they can probably be discussed concurrently because Apple, from most reports I've seen, switched to IGZO largely for the power benefits. The technology allows them to do away with one set of the two sets of LEDs previously employed on iPads. It's certainly valid question as to whether this new combination of screen technology is what's leading to the book spine issue. Common sense tells me that if you put lights on just one side of a device, you're going to need a way to address the inevitable unevenness of lighting across the entire device.

 

[mcdj]

Technically, you're probably right that IGZO and the number of LEDs are two separate issues. But practically speaking for the purposes of iPads, they can probably be discussed concurrently because Apple, from most reports I've seen, switched to IGZO largely for the power benefits. The technology allows them to do away with one set of the two sets of LEDs previously employed on iPads. It's certainly valid question as to whether this new combination of screen technology is what's leading to the book spine issue. Common sense tells me that if you put lights on just one side of a device, you're going to need a way to address the inevitable unevenness of lighting across the entire device.

I agree completely. I just think you could probably say the same thing about any panel side lit with one led. Not just IGZO. My gut feeling is that screen evenness issues are due to the very tricky balancing act of getting the led set to just the right angle to disperse evenly, in terms of brightness and color. Factor in the increasingly insane thinness and there's gonna be some off ones. Perhaps many. Every one I've seen...

 

[Fattytail]

I agree completely. I just think you could probably say the same thing about any panel side lit with one led. Not just IGZO. My gut feeling is that screen evenness issues are due to the very tricky balancing act of getting the led set to just the right angle to disperse evenly, in terms of brightness and color. Factor in the increasingly insane thinness and there's gonna be some off ones. Perhaps many. Every one I've seen...

Interesting. I'm going to take another look at the display units when I'm near an Apple store. I wouldn't be surprised if my observations turn out to be consistent with yours. I know every one I've seen so far, except for the one I'm currently holding, has had yellow tints. Hadn't previously paid attention to the uneven lighting though.

The interesting thing is, the problem at least on mine sort of goes away when I'm in a place with good ambient lighting.