Despite questions raised about the practicality of Quad HD displays on smartphones, one Chinese manufacturer is reportedly not halting when it comes to breaking into 4K.
Rumor has it that ZTE is planning on releasing the first smartphone with a 4K display, the ZTE Star 3, successor to the Star 2 with a 1080p Full HD display.
The rumor comes from Chinese media outlet MyDrivers (via GizmoChina), which claims that ZTE is working on a 5.5-inch smartphone with a display resolution of 2,160 x 3,840 pixels. That translates to a whopping 806 pixels jampacked into every single inch on the device's display.
Additionally, the Star 3 is said to use a TFT display panel, which is panned for having poor viewing angles compared to the IPS displays used in high-end smartphones today.
However, the display is said to feature a special crystal structure that will allow the display to reduce power consumption and answer to criticisms that high-resolution displays eat up a lot of power. The special crystalline arrangement will also supposedly strengthen the display.
The rumor also suggests that the Star 3 will have an ultra-thin bezel at 0.55 millimeter, which is in line with earlier rumors that the handset will feature an almost edgeless display. The Star 3 is believed to sport a premium look with a rounded top and bottom and two rear cameras separated in the middle by an LED flash.
As with all rumors regarding new technology, it is advisable to take this one with a pinch of salt. Still, it is worth noting that 4K displays for smartphones are already underway, as Sharp has officially announced its own Ultra HD display, a 5.5-inch smartphone display that features the same 806 ppi as the rumored display on the Star 3. However, Sharp said that its own 4K display will not be ready for mass production until 2016.
As for the benefits of having a smartphone with a 4K display, it is unknown what the average user can get from having so many pixels on the screen. One possible advantage that a 4K smartphone can have over HD and QHD handsets is the ability to use them with virtual reality headsets that require the use of a high-end smartphone for a screen, such as the Samsung Gear VR. However, these headsets are, at least for now, few and far between, and VR still has a long way to go before going mainstream.
Meanwhile, it is highly likely that the average user will not see a huge difference between using a 4K display and a good, ol' 1080p display. In one experiment conducted by PhoneArena, it was found that although users noticed a difference in the quality of images in an HD phone and a Quad HD device, they had to hold the screen at six inches or less away from their faces and look for more than a minute before they noticed the differences.
It is likely that 4K will not provide any more significant difference, but as smartphone displays become sharper and sharper, manufacturers will want the bragging rights to speak of when they market their products.
