HTC, LG and Xiaomi are working on smartphones with an OLED screen

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HTC, LG, Xiaomi, Asus and ZTE, among others, are working on smartphones with OLED screens. Google has implicitly disclosed this. All those manufacturers make smartphones that will be compatible with Google’s VR platform Daydream. That platform requires an OLED screen.

Google has not yet put the requirements for Daydream online, but Ars Technica mentions that an OLED screen is mandatory in any case. During its I/O keynote Wednesday evening, Google showed a slide showing manufacturers working on smartphones that will be compatible with Daydream. On that slide were Samsung, HTC, LG, Xiaomi, Huawei, ZTE, Asus and Alcatel.

Of those manufacturers, Samsung has used OLED screens most often on more expensive devices, while LG, Huawei and HTC have occasionally released a device with an OLED screen. At LG, that was the G Flex 2 from last year, while HTC released the One A9, and Huawei released the Mate S and soon the P9 Plus.

An OLED screen is needed for Daydream because of the screen’s refresh rate. OLED screens can change pixels of color or brightness much faster than LCDs, so that the image remains sharper during movement. This is because OLED screens consist of individually controlled LEDs that emit light themselves. LCDs work with a backlight with a color filter over it. Samsung is the largest supplier of OLED screens in smartphones, but LG also makes them and Japan Display is also starting a production line. The Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, among others, also work with OLED screens in the headsets.

Google presented Daydream on Wednesday evening during the Google I/O keynote. Unlike Cardboard, Daydream integrates into Android. For example, Play Movies, Photos, Streetview and YouTube can be used completely in VR. In addition, third parties are coming up with apps that work in conjunction with Daydream, such as Imax and Hulu for watching video. The apps will have a special section in the Play Store, which will also be fully accessible in 360-degree mode. The platform will be released in the fall and then the first smartphones, headsets and controllers from manufacturers should also be available.

It’s not the first time Google has called an Android feature Daydream. A feature in Android Jelly Bean from 2012 to show screensavers when the phone is on the charger, was also called Daydream.

Render of OLED pixels from a promo video for the Nokia Lumia 1020

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