Large electronics conglomerates tend to diversify into high-growth markets in a bid to sustain their own growth rate as well as to develop a broader ecosystem of products and further improve brand recognition. Last year smartphone maker Xiaomi started to sell its own monitors for gamers, and based on unconfirmed reports, Huawei is also working on its own displays. As it usually happens with Huawei, the company is after the very high end of the market.
Huawei’s lineup of monitors will reportedly include three models targeting different price bands. The top-of-the-range display competing with the best gaming monitors is expected to feature a Mini LED-based full-array local area dimming (FALD) along with a 240 Hz refresh rate, a combination not available today. Details about the remaining two LCDs are scarce. Some reports say that they will be aimed at lower-end segments; others claim that there will be a curved 23.8-inch monitor in the lineup.
If the information about Huawei’s flagship gaming monitor is correct, then it looks like the company is working on a display that uses a ‘Fast IPS’ panel featuring a 240 Hz refresh rate that is equipped with a Mini LED-powered FALD backlighting, which promises to provide a very high contrast ratio along with a high peak brightness.
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Since FALD tends to be very expensive, it is unlikely that it will be used for a monitor with a TN or VA panel. The target audience of expensive displays is looking primarily for quality, so utmost color accuracy is critical for these people. The reports do not say anything about quantum dot enhancements or special polarizers to improve color accuracy beyond the capabilities of Fast IPS. Still, since we are talking about a Mini LED FALD-powered LCD, these are features that are reasonable to expect (though, this is speculation at this point).
At present, Fast IPS panels with a 240 Hz refresh rate are available from two companies: AU Optronics and LG Display. The most advanced Fast IPS panels are 27-inch 8-bit panels that support a resolution of 2560×1440.
It is hard to speculate about the features and capabilities of other displays in the alleged Huawei lineup. The presence of a curved model looks logical enough as curved LCDs are rapidly gaining market share.
Huawei’s move into displays has not been confirmed by the company officially, but this will not come as a surprise. Honor, the giant’s daughter brand, has been selling televisions for a while, so the conglomerate has experience with the technology. Displays are designed and marketed differently, but as far as manufacturing is concerned, they have a lot in common with high-end TVs.
But technical expertise is not the only thing to be concerned about when it comes to Huawei. It is uneasy for Huawei to source components because of the restrictions imposed by the US Department of Commerce, so launching a new product lineup might be tough for the company in the current situation.
Sources: TechNave, BlurBusters, NotebookCheck, GizChina
