Do you feel like your smartphone doesn’t have enough space on its screen, but you don’t want to upgrade to a tablet or even a phablet? LG thinks they may have found the solution as they have created an LCD panel that will give phones the maximum possible screen real estate. This is because it has the world’s thinnest bezel and at just 0.7mm thick (or rather thin) on the left and right side, it is even thinner than a credit card.
This is possible because of what they call the Neo Edge process, which allows the integration of the touch panel, backlight, and circuit board for the display in just one unit. Aside from having the world’s thinnest bezel, the South Korean OEM also introduces the first ever Advanced In-Cell Touch technology which allows for the integration of the touch panel in the LCD module so that it reduces the area around the panel. The adhesive used to attach the LCD to the circuit board and backlight will also block light leakage as well as making it waterproof and dust-proof. Instead of the usual double-sided tape, this adhesive will also harden over time making your smartphone even more durable.
The sample unit they used to showcase the thin bezel feature looks to be a bit jarring, but maybe that’s because we’re not used to seeing something like it. LG believes there is a huge market for “thinner is better” devices, particularly in China. One local brand that adheres to this is Oppo, who recently released what may be the thinnest smartphone now, with their R5 smartphone. Because the display is so thin, you cannot put a normal headphone jack and you’ll only be able to use a micro USB adapter to be able to use one.
Since China seems to be their target market, they will be the first to see smartphones with this thin bezel LCD. Mass production will supposedly start this November. This might also reduce the price of phones sporting this display since LG says it is cheaper to produce these screens than the ones they use on their “regular” devices.
