Federica Laricchia
Research expert covering the global consumer technology industry
Get in touch with us nowDisplay technology history
The development in the design and manufacture of display systems first began with the invention of the cathode-ray tube (CRT) technology by Ferdinand Braun in 1897. The CRT technology was the dominant industry standard for display systems up until the late 20th century. New trends such as the growing demand for mobile electronics increased demand for displays that rival and surpass CRTs in picture quality, size, and power consumption. One of the most prominent technological developments in recent years was the liquid crystal display (LCD), a display technology that has dominated many device markets in recent years.Outlook
Looking ahead, newer display technologies such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLEDs), and quantum dot displays (QLEDs) will continue to grow in prevalence. High-end smartphones, such as the iPhone 13 models, make use of OLED displays that offer better picture quality. OLED is also used to make flexible displays, with an estimated nine million foldable or rollable smartphones shipped in 2021 – by 2025, this is expected to grow significantly, rising to more than 69 million units.
