Apple Tablet Will Live or Die by Its Screen

Posted by Editor on Jan 12, 2010 in Apple, Tablets

Apple’s upcoming tablet has been often pitched as an ebook reader, which has led some analysts to speculate whether the device will feature an e-ink display like the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook. Others think it will use the same LCD technology the iPhone and iPod Touch employ. Or perhaps it will feature an OLED screen like the Microsoft Zune HD and Google Nexus One. Speculation has been fueled by rumors that developers cannot get supplies due to Apple’s cornering of the market for 10.1-inch LCD and OLED displays in Asia. Whatever display technology Apple chooses will make a massive difference to the tablet’s success. Let’s take a look at the various display possibilities.

The Case for E-Ink

Ebook readers like the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook use e-ink technology for its close visual appearance to traditional printed matter. Without a backlight and with exceptional contrast, e-ink displays are easy to read under bright, outdoor lighting conditions. They are also very low on eyestrain. E-ink’s main downsides are limited resolution and highly limited color gamut, with the Kindle and Nook limited to 16 shades of gray.

This limitation renders color newspaper and magazine display impossible. It also makes the playback of HD video movies and TV shows impossible, not too mention displaying websites. Color e-ink prototypes have been shown by such companies as Mirasol; while Pixel Qi combines a black and white e-ink display with a traditional LCD.

But these displays are still in the prototype stages and expensive. It seems highly unlikely the Apple tablet will use black and white e-ink and less likely that a newly developed color e-ink display will be available or economical, at least for the first generation device.

E-Ink Verdict: Unlikely.

The Case for LCD

Apple has successfully used deployed LCD (liquid crystal) technology with the iPhone and iPod (not to mention its laptop lines). LCD screens are backlit and highly visible in most lighting conditions though occasionally hard to see in very bright sunlight.

An LCD display screen will allow all sorts of video, web and traditional magazine and newspaper content to be presented on the tablet in full color with full motion. The main question is battery life. Apple has managed to squeeze longer and longer battery life out of each generation of iPhone and it only seems logical this trend will continue with the tablet. The question is how short a battery life will customers tolerate. Will 3+ hours of constant use on a charge be both possible and sufficient on a 10.1 display?

LCD Verdict: Highly likely.

The Case for OLED

OLED or organic Light Emitting Diode displays do not require a backlight and can display a greater gamut of color and brightness values than traditional LCD displays. They can also be manufactured thinner and draw less power, leading to smaller devices with longer battery life. Their principle downsides are lowered durability and increased costs, both of which would be important considerations in a portable, handheld touchscreen tablet.

The rumor mills rumbling with reports of Apple cornering the market on 10.1 inch LCD and OLED screens indicate two possibilities: the rumors are incorrect, or Apple intends to release tablet versions with both screens. Perhaps the plan is to offer an LCD version at a base price and an OLED ‘premium’ version. This is not out of line, as Apple once offered LED premium MacBook Pros back when the norm was LCD technology. Therefore, while an OLED-only version of Apple’s tablet seems like a stretch, the possibility of an upmarket version to supplement an LCD base model is not unthinkable.

OLED Verdict: Somewhat likely.

Best Case Scenario

It’s most likely that Apple is taking the gamble that ebook fanatics will be ok viewing content on an LCD or OLED screen and that e-ink in its current incarnation is not a must. This opens up the tablet to a host of other applications and uses which have been the cornerstone of the iPhone’s success. Therefore– look for a full color display using proven technology.

OLED stands a chance but most likely the Apple tablet will sport a similar LCD screen to the iPhone and iPod (only at 10 inches), at least for the base model. Whichever way Apple goes, rest assured the display will have been extensively thought over and tested to provide the best tradeoff between usability and performance. The eyes will have it.