IDC Reports LCD Display Design Becoming Critical Among Smart Handheld Devices

Larger, Brighter, and More Rugged Displays to Be the Focus, as Well as

Innovative Virtual Displays for Pocketable Devices

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., June 30 /PRNewswire/ - As smart handhelds devices make their way into more general use among business users, liquid crystal display technology will become a more critical component. International Data Corporation has released a special report focusing on this technology specific to handheld devices and what trends are expected in the years ahead.

The report, LCD Technology on Handhelds, focuses on LCD technology as it specifically relates to the smart handheld devices marketplace. IDC expects the smart handheld device market will challenge LCD manufacturers because of its wide variety of applications, physical device sizes, and durability requirements.

Backlit displays are now a check list item among PC companion and personal companion users, as exhibited on current Windows CE- based devices and the PalmPilot from US Robotics. Color LCDs will become popular on larger devices such as pen tablets and classic PDA designs in the near future. In addition, varying degrees of LCD display ruggedness will also be available to counteract with constant pen input as well as environmental factors such as heat, humidity, physical shock, and moisture. On smaller devices, major improvements are also being made in the area of virtual displays. These so called personal displays will bring a new method of interacting with data on pocketable devices.

IDC expects 82.5 percent of the worldwide PC companion will be reflective- based in 1997, decreasing to 76 percent by 2000, as the industry slowly moves to color displays beginning this year. In larger form factors, such as classic PDAs and pen tablets, color LCD technology is expected to penetrate more rapidly.

"The small LCD display manufacturing market (under 10") continues to make inroads in power consumption, ruggedness, and innovative design, that will affect the look and feel of future small handheld devices from personal companions to smart phones," said Randy Giusto, director of IDC's worldwide mobile technology research. "Companies like Kopin and DisplayTech are really forcing device vendors to think about innovative ways to view data."

Other subjects covered in this special report are the integration of digitizers and touchscreens, advancements in virtual displays, new technologies such as poly-si and full-color DHFLC- TFTs, and a discussion of current display manufacturers supplying the smart handheld device marketplace. Also included are detailed worldwide smart handheld device forecasts by display type, display size, and resolution.

This report is part of IDC's Technology Spotlight series of reports and is available for purchase by contacting Cheryl Toffel at 800-343-4952. Other technologies focused on in the report series include batteries, infrared, and integrated pointing devices.

For additional information about IDC's Smart Handheld Devices research program, or the Technology Spotlight report series, please contact Dara Queen at 508-935-4585.

About IDC Headquartered in Framingham, Mass., International Data Corporation provides IT market research and consulting to more than 3,900 high-technology customers around the world. With a global network of 300 analysts in more than 40 countries, IDC is the industry's most comprehensive resource on worldwide IT markets, products, vendors, and geographies.

IDC/LINK, an IDC subsidiary, researches and analyzes the home computing market, leading-edge technologies in telecommunications and new media, and the convergence of computing and consumer electronics.

IDC's World Wide Web site (http://www.idcresearch.com) contains additional company information and recent news releases, and offers full-text searching of recent research.

IDC is owned by International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading IT media and research company.

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SOURCE International Data Corporation -0- 6/30/97 /CONTACT: Randy Giusto, 508-935-4712, or rgiustoidcresearch.com, or Diana Hwang, 508-935-4143, or dhwangidcresearch.com, Hillary DeMello, 508-935-4282, or hdemelloidcresearch.com, all of International Data Corporation/