Samsung unveils new tech to get Apple

Samsung Electronics, despite its current legal squabble with Apple Inc., will out roll out so-called “Retina Displays” to secure demand from the California-based company and win a bigger share in the rapidly-growing tablet PC market.

Samsung is expected to start mass-producing the displays by the end of this year, industry sources said.

The new displays, based on the PenTile RGBW technology, will resemble LG Display’s screen for the iPhone 4, boasting a high pixel resolution of 2560 by 1600 pixels, which is a resolution higher than most 24 and 27-inch computer monitors.

The displays are an attempt to supply tablet displays to Apple, sources said, noting Samsung Electronics’ latest moves to ship more mobile chips to Apple, including plans to build a new $3.6 billion chip fabrication plant in Austin, Texas.

Samsung had earlier said it had no plans to develop the plane-based screen technology by LG.

“It seems to be an abrupt departure from its previous stance,” one industry watcher said on the condition of anonymity.

At 10.1 inches, Samsung’s new displays are bigger than the iPad, but once the displays are proved to be a good match, size will not be an issue, watchers said, especially since an iPad 3 is inevitable.

Merrill Lynch expects Apple to sell slightly more than 26 million iPads this year, while IHS Suppli is expecting 39.6 million.

At home, LG Display had previously basked in Apple’s love for its displays and has been doggedly rolling out goods but has been unable to meet the bursting emand, industry watchers said.

Samsung’s move to showcase its new displays comes amid a legal battle the South Korean electronics maker is fighting out with Apple, forecast to soon become its No. 1 client to surpass Sony.

Bristling after Apple filed a lawsuit for copyright infringement of its designs on smart devices like the iPhone and the iPad, Samsung countersued, claiming Apple infringed on its technology copyright.

Despite the legal strife, Samsung is once again trying to woo Apple amid concerns of a possible technological vacuum, industry watchers noted.

Samsung has appeared to be unfazed, but smaller rivals such as Elpida Memory and Intel have been beating it to develop new chip-related technologies.

By Kim Ji-hyun (jemmie@heraldcorp.com)