Samsung have announced a new 3.5" LCD with embedded touch screen for use in smartphones and PMPs. According to Samsung, the new screen will enable mobile devices to be developed that are both thinner and lighter.

From the press release:

The new 3.5" LCD, referred to as the 3.5" hTSP (hybrid Touch Screen Panel), features qVGA resolution and a built-in touch screen. Normally, an LCD panel with touch screen must have a separate printed circuit board (PCB) attached to the top of the LCD panel that contains sensor circuitry. Now, Samsung has eliminated this requirement by including all sensor circuitry within the panel. As a result, mobile devices designed with the new 3.5" display can be thinner and lighter, while maintaining a bright, high contrast image.

Adding to production cost efficiencies, the company produced the touch screen circuitry inside the new panel using the same thin-film transistor (TFT) processing that it uses today in mass production at existing LCD facilities.

The new LCD panel can be applied to a wide range of portable applications that require a touch screen, such as navigation terminals for vehicles, and personal media players (PMPs). Future applications will include smart phones, PDA phones, ultra-mobile PCs and other multimedia mobile products.