8K displays may reach tablets by 2020

4K displays haven’t even become prevalent in mobile devices. We can say 2015 is the year of QHD (2560×1440), but as always, the Japanese are thinking ahead and planning big things for their 2020 Olympic Games, an event that has been known to serve as a great medium to showcase technology in the past. 2020 may be the year when 8K displays are finally introduced in a grand scale.

Why do we need a 7680x4320p screen, you ask? I am questioning the very same thing. 4K screens are already amazingly sharp, but professor of broadcast technology at Ehime University Yoshihiro Fujita claims this is an important step. 8K may very well be the ultimate step in screen definition technology;  he claims 8K technology “won’t be upgraded any further even if there were such technologies as 16K or 32K”.

He (and other experts) also believe it’s the “ultimate 2D display”, and our eyes wouldn’t be able to recognize pixels at this point. But just how far are the Japanese into developing this technology? It seems they have reached the final stages, and a few manufacturers have announced panels with this high definition recently. The kicker? These are not your titanic screens that will go in the living room. We are talking mobile screens here!

JDI recently announced a 17.3-inch 8K screen. There’s also a 13.3-inch OLED display coming from Sharp. These would be great for laptops and over-sized tablets, which have started to become more popular recently. Don’t want to go that large? 10-inch devices with this resolution are also in the works, with Ortus announcing a 9.6-inch 8K panel, which would equate to a mighty 915 dpi (dots per inch)!

Surely, that would be an amazing resolution. And unless you have crazy eagle eyes, you definitely won’t be able to notice pixels at that point. I just wonder if this is really the limit for the human eye. After all, some argue 120 frames per second is close to the limit in human physiology, but many of us can tell the difference in higher rates.

We will have to wait until we get our eyeballs all over these panels, but so far I believe 4K screens are already pushing it (at this size). Also keep in mind 8K screens will be amazingly expensive to make, at least at first. Japanese manufacturers are likely trying to target other industries, initially (including medical purposes).

The moment of truth should come before 2020. Meanwhile, we would like to read your opinion on the matter. Would you think 8K resolution would be overkill in mobile devices and portable computers? I sure do.