Sharp to launch advanced LCDs for mobile devices

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sharp Corp. (6753.T) said on Tuesday it has developed advanced LCD panels that would offer sharper moving images on portable devices such as mobile phones, pitting it against organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays.

Digital broadcasting targeted at mobile devices is catching on and more digital camera makers are putting a camcorder function in their products, boosting demand for small-sized panels capable of giving finer images.

The new panels have a response speed three times as fast as its conventional panels and the world's highest contrast ratio for 2-inch LCDs used in mobile devices, Sharp said.

The Osaka-based company plans to make a sample shipment of the new liquid crystal display (LCD) panels by the end of the year for cellphones and aims for 100 billion yen ($836 million) in sales from the new products in the year ending March 2009.

Sharp's overall LCD panel revenues are estimated at about 1 trillion yen in the year ended March 31.

The company said it aims to keep manufacturing costs for the new panels no more than 130 percent of costs to make conventional panels.

Comparative OLED displays, which are also known for high-contrast ratios and high response speeds, could cost twice or three times as much as conventional LCD displays, it said.

Major manufacturers of OLED displays include Tohoku Pioneer Corp. 6827.T, a unit of Japanese consumer electronics maker Pioneer Corp. (6773.T).

Shares in Sharp closed down 0.8 percent at 2,395 yen, underperforming the Tokyo stock market's electrical machinery index .IELEC.T, which lost 0.35 percent.

($1=119.63 Yen)