Samsung has acquired Dutch firm Liquavista, which has developed a method of making displays called electrowetting. This technology will help Samsung make screens that display colour in different lighting conditions. The process of electrowetting also uses less power as compared to LCD displays.
A similar technology is used by Amazon for its Kindle e reader, but the problem until Liquavista discovered electrowetting has been that companies weren’t able to apply the technique to colour screens. Moreover, displays made by electrowetting used to take a long time to respond and Liquavista claims to have reduced response time by 70 per cent. The company’s displays also use 90 per cent less power because they are made of material that has high capacitance, or allows wave energy to pass through it freely.
Samsung’s new display technology may not be good enough for gaming, but for web browsing and all types of navigation around the machine, it would suffice. A statement from the company suggests the technology has possible applications in e book readers as well as other mobile devices. Samsung expects it will be able to easily modify its production lines to use Liquavista’s expertise in electrowetting.