If you thought 2K phone screens were overkill, you’re going to be positively disgusted by this: Samsung is working on an 11K screen with a 2,250 pixel-per-inch density and a resolution of 11,264 х 6,336 pixels. The screen will measure 5.75 inches, and could grace future smartphones.
According to Korean news site ET News, Samsung partnered with the South Korean government to start work on the super high-resolution screens, and $26.5 million will be invested in the project over five year’s time. Apparently, some 13 companies have been working on the project since June 1.
And Samsung seems to be making real progress on the development of the 11K screen. The company and its partners could even show off a prototype of the 11K screen at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Right now, though, the 11K screen is the stuff of technophile dreams. Current Quad HD 2K screens max out at a 2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution and a 576 pixel-per-inch density. In contrast, the 11K screen would be four times more pixel-dense than the highest-resolution smartphone currently on the market.
Of course, there’s much debate over whether the human eye can even register the difference between HD 720p resolutions and Full HD 1080p resolutions, let alone the difference between Quad HD-resolution screens and Full HD ones. Higher-resolution screens are also known to drain batteries faster, which is a tradeoff that most customers will not make.
In spite of all this, Samsung maintains that its 11K screen will be worth the time and money it has invested. The company says it may try out a 3D effect on the screen, which brings up another issue — 3D screens are notorious for hurting users’ eyes and making some people sick. Samsung may yet discover a way to evade the troubles that have plagued 3D screens in the past, though. It’s early days for the project, and battery and screen technology will likely make great strides before 2018 arrives.