Yang Byeong-Deok, Managing Director of Samsung Electronics’s Wireless Division, Display Development, introduced "Infinite-O Display" and "Blue Light Reduction" technologies at the Galaxy S10 Display Technology Briefing held at the Samsung Electronics Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on 14th and said, "The company will go beyond the competition of existing picture quality and screen size.”.
The direction of development of the Galaxy S10 display was twofold: "immediate and definite change" and "technology that provides practical albeit not immediate benefits". The 'Infinite-O Display', which is putting a sensor like a camera under the display to increase the screen size, belongs to the 'immediate and definite change' category.
Managing Director Yang said, "Samsung Electronics' smartphones with Infinite-O display already exist but they have a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel. On the other hand, Galaxy S10 is the only smartphone model with a hole-punched display on OLED panels." He then explained, "Using laser cutting technology, we’ve created small, delicate holes that minimized pixel loss, and combined the advanced moisture barrier technology (encapsulation) to protect the organic matter."
Then, as a ‘techonlogy that provides practical albeit not immediate benefits,’ he pointed out ‘blue light reduction’ and ‘HRD10+.' Managing Director Yang said, "Galaxy S10 has reduced the blue light by 42% compared to the previous version by using the latest organic materials." OLED panels are a display technology that allows electricity to flow through organic materials. The red, green, and blue light of each organism constitute a pixel. To adjust the blue color, the blue-emitting organics must be changed.
Managing director Yang said, "Wavelengths under 450nm (nanometers) in the blue wavelength range are known to be particularly harmful to the eyes. The blue light reduction is a very important technology these days as the number of people with eye strain increases as the hours of smartphone usage increase.” In addition, he explained, “The ‘filter application’ that filters the blue light with software is to bring the display color to yellow. It is possible to use the method at night, but when you want to use it without filters in the daytime, it will still be burdensome on the eyes."
By only reducing the amount of blue light and combining red and green light pixels, the desired light cannot be produced. Burn-in, which is often pointed out as an OLED panel problem, is a result of the weak light of the blue organic matter. It does not occur because the panel is burning; rather, the issue is that blue-emitting organic matter has a shorter life span than other pixels.
The "Blue Light Reduction" effect introduced by Managing Director Yang is estimated to be technology that has moved the wavelength band of light emitted by blue organic matter closer to 500 nanometers. On OLED panels, light does not emit light of a specific wavelength but emits light over various wavelengths.
Reducing the blue light by 42% compared to the previous version seems to mean that the light intensity of the harmful wavelengths below 450nm has been reduced as previously described by Managing Director Yang. TÜV Rheinland, a German certification institution, awarded the 'Eye Comfort' rating for the blue light reduction effect of the Galaxy S10.
If the blue light reduction is a hardware technology that changed organic materials, the HRD10+ is a software-enhanced technology. Managing Director Yang said, "We applied Dynamic Tone Mapping technology to change the color, lightness, and luminance to suit the surrounding environment. The Galaxy S10 display is the world's first display to receive the HDR10+ standard certification. It provides a clear and vivid movie-like display experience in any environment," he said.
Managing Director Yang said the company would "go beyond picture quality competition," but one of the picture quality factors, the number of pixels per inch (PPI), has declined than the previous version. The Galaxy S10 display is 550ppi, while the S9 is 570ppi. A Samsung Electronics official said, "The good reaction that the Galaxy S10 has gained in the market is the reason behind this technology briefing."