Could OLED screens could quietly revolutionise our mobiles?

There are many technologies in the world which do not get a lot of press. While things such as operating systems (for example, Windows Phone 7 Series, Windows 7, Mac OS X or the iPhone OS) get a lot of press coverage, other hardware or software technologies such as hard drives, get very little coverage, even on tech websites. One area that's traditionally been under-reported, but which has enjoyed a surge in interest recently, is screen technology, despite this being one of the primary ways we interact with the technology we use. Practically the only thing which can be drawn as a comparison between such disparate technologies as mobile phones, laptops, games consoles, or desktop PCs, is that all of them need a screen for the user to interact with them, which makes the lack of coverage for screen technology, in the past, slightly odd.

However, in recent times, coverage has started to increase, and it's primarily thanks to two innovations. The first is multi-touch, as found in devices such as the iPhone. The second is a screen technology called OLED, which has revolutionised devices like mobile phones and laptops. Before we talk about the emergence of OLED screens, however, it may be useful to talk about what OLED technology actually provides.

OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode, and it is very different to traditional screen technologies like TFT. With TFT screens, the image you see on screen is the result of a thin LCD in the screen itself, and this means that TFT screens need a backlight for the user to be able to view them. OLED screens, however, are based on light emitting technology, and as such, don't need a backlight, because the screen itself is producing its own light. So, on an OLED screen, a white pixel is actually a pixel emitting white light, whereas on a traditional TFT screen, it would be a white pixel that required a backlight for the user to be able to see it.

This leads to several crucial benefits. Most notable among them is the fact that, because the need for a backlight is removed, OLED screens considerably less power than a traditional screen, so, for example, the battery of the mobile phone the screen's mounted on will last longer. The battery is further increased by the fact that, to show black on screen, the OLED screen simply turns that pixel off. Because black areas are emitting no light, they are also drawing no power from the battery. This also leads to being able to see 'true blacks' on the screen of your mobile phone or laptop, instead of the slightly washed out blacks of TFT screens. OLED screens also produce more vivid colours and higher contrast than traditional screens.

To see the difference, simply compare the screen of a phone like the Nexus One (which uses an AMOLED screen, a further advancement of OLED technology) to the screen of a phone with a TFT screen, such as the HTC HD2. The Nexus One's screen may be smaller, but it is certainly prettier.

OLED screens have been taken a step further, as well, as shown in the new Samsung Wave. This uses a Super AMOLED screen, which has all the same benefits of an OLED screen, but is considerably more readable in direct sunlight.

However, OLEDs show potential beyond making superior screens for mobile phones, laptops, and other electronic gadgets. Because they emit light, and draw very little power, many companies are looking at the idea of using OLED for lighting purposes, in such things as desk lamps and in-car lighting.

There is only one downside to OLED technology, and it is cost. Traditionally, OLED screens have been more expensive to replace than TFT screens, so if your laptop has an OLED screen (and the best ones do), for example, it would be a an idea to think getting it covered with laptop insurance.