LG begins production of variable-refresh oxide LCD panels for laptops with reduced power consumption

LG has started production of oxide LCD panels for laptops with a variable refresh rate and lower power consumption versus conventional models. The unnamed oxide material retains an electrical charge longer, allowing the panel to reduce its refresh rate from 120 Hz to as low as 1 Hz. This reduces power consumption, resulting in longer runtimes.

The use of oxide in LCD panels has existed for quite some time. The first major company to produce such panels was Sharp Japan with its IGZO panels for HDTVs, which also offer variable refresh rates and lower power consumption versus conventional panels. Such panels are now used in Japanese smartphones such as the Sharp Aquos R10 and monitors such as this one on Amazon. Chinese panel maker BOE has also demonstrated various oxide LCD panels, with refresh rates as high as 500 Hz for laptops and as low as 1 Hz for smartphones.

LG is now producing its oxide panels for unspecified premium Dell XPS laptops and will expand production in 2027. According to the company, the panels provide "48% more use on a single charge" versus regular LCD panels, which is good for users of power-hungry AI apps. Display algorithms and other panel technologies were optimized at the same time as the development of the oxide LCD technology to achieve such power savings.