Samsung unveils "world's first truly double-sided LCD"
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Jan 4th 2007 8:01AM
posted Jan 4th 2007 8:01AM
They already tout the "world's slimmest" LCD panel for mobile phones, now Samsung is announcing the "world's first" truly double-sided LCD. Samsung's new double-sided LCD can display two entirely different sets of information simultaneously on the front and back of the same screen whereas conventional double-sided LCDs can only show a reverse image of the same data. The magic results from Samsung's new double-gate, thin-film transistor (TFT) architecture. The LCD has two gates -- not one -- which operate each pixel for separate control of the liquid crystal on the transmissive and reflective sides. The 2.22-inch display is 2.6-mm thick and features a QVGA (240x320) resolution, support for 265k colors, and a 250-nit brightness on the transmissive primary screen which drops down to a weak sauce, 100-nit on the secondary reflective screen. Still, thin is in and the new panel can shave a full millimeter off today's dual-panel devices. Hitting the streets in the form of consumable product sometime before July. Check the mystery, prototype handset after the break.
[Via AVING]
The real trick would be to make that second (exterior) screen touch sensitive, so when closed, it can operate functions without having to flip - but that already makes sense... maaaaan.
I can see apple using this for something interesting.
@PEZ:
just put a touch sensitive film over the outside display. it can be done, and that WOULD be the sh*t.
too bad they're too busy coming up with new stuff to redesign their u.s. website so it might actually help with something.
Knew I'd seen this before somewhere:
http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/tag/mitsubishis-doublesided-lcd-8638.php
Looks like different images to me, so, you think Samsung is gonna change their tune, narr.
the only problem is that they'd need to shield a clamshell screen like that, at 2.6 mm, I'd crack that screen in a day in my pocket :-/