According to sources speaking with DigiTimes, 5-inch full HD smartphone screens may very well become the industry standard for handsets next year.
DigiTimes' insiders claimed that handset manufacturers Samsung Electronics, Sony Mobile Communications, LG Electronics, Huawei Device and ZTE are all currently working on 5-inch full HD displays, which are set to be shipped during the first half of 2013.
The sources added that both Samsung and LG will produce the full HD panels in-house, while Sony is said to be producing its panels via Japan Display (JDI), a firm it holds a stake in.
2012, meanwhile, has already seen a few notable devices with a 5-inch screen launch. The HTC J Butterfly, for one, is now available in Japan, and is scheduled for a worldwide release in the form of the Deluxe. It's also released the Droid DNA in the United States. Sony, meanwhile, is reportedly working on its 5-inch 'Yuga' handset.
Elsewhere, ZTE is scheduled to unveil its quad-core-powered, 5-inch Grand S handset during CES in January, with the event also said to be when Samsung unveil its 5-inch Galaxy S4.
While 5-inch screens begin to become more common in the industry, Samsung is apparently already working on the Galaxy Note 3, which sports a 6.3-inch display. Huawei aims to compete with the South Korean' conglomerate's Galaxy Note lineup with its own 6.1-inch phablet, the Ascend Mate.
Devices such as HTC's 5-inch Droid DNA boasts 440 ppi (pixels-per-inch), while the iPhone 5's Retina display features 326 pixel-per-inch.
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Zak Islam is a freelance writer focusing on security, networking, and general computing. His work also appears at Digital Trends and Tom's Guide.
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drapacioli I don't know, if it fits comfortably in my pocket sure, but not much bigger than that. There is a point where portability will be a factor too...Reply
Full HD resolution on the other hand is a welcome improvement! -
Ragnar-Kon Can't figure out why people like the bigger phones so much.Reply
The full 5" screen phones don't fit comfortably in my pocket. Shopping for a new phone right now myself, and I've already ruled out the 5" Droid DNA, 4.8" Galaxy S3, and 4.7" Droid Razr Maxx because neither of them fit in my pocket comfortably. Those are like the top three Android phones out there.
I must have small pockets or somethin' -
InvalidError evan1715good, the bigger the screen the better.There are practical limits to how large a "phone" can be.Reply
Also, the display is the biggest battery drain on most devices by a fair margin and that power draw is almost directly proportional to display area, which means bigger displays will eat into battery life. Not necessarily a good thing for people who want to use their phones mostly as phones.
1080p on a 5" screen seems overkill to me but I suppose we have reached the point where manufacturers are starting to have to throw everything including the kitchen sink in to justify their price tags and convince people to open their wallets. -
10tacle I cannot imagine having anything larger than my Droid Razr Maxx's 4.7". When is enough enough? Getting to 6" and up is pushing tablet territory for crying out loud. Who wants to carry a 6" phone in their pockets? Women can put them in purses, but men don't have that option (straight men anyway).Reply -
Parsian The bigger it is and the thicker it is the longer is its endurance.Reply
Bigger screen! Thicker battery! All for your ever tighter hipster pants' pockets!!! -
chase3567 Screen size doesn't affect battery life as the Gnote 2 has proven. It has a better battery life than the S3 and most smartphones out right now.Reply