LG display targets longer laptop battery life with 1Hz screens

A new screen from LG Display promises to extend a laptop's battery life by dropping to refresh rates as low as one frame per second.

The company is now mass-producing a "1 to 120Hz" LCD for laptops that detects how you're using your PC and calibrates the refresh rate accordingly to save power.

"It automatically switches the refresh rate down to 1Hz when the screen is static and up to 120Hz when needed," the Korean manufacturer says. "For example, when performing tasks involving primarily still images—such as checking emails or reading e-books and research papers—the panel operates at the lowest refresh rate of 1Hz."

The screen can then crank up to 120Hz if you're gaming on a laptop or streaming a movie. The company uses a technology called Oxide 1Hz, a reference to metal oxide-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) used in LCD panels. The technology comprises both "proprietary circuit algorithms and panel design technologies," LG Display said in a video.

"The result is dramatically improved battery efficiency, including 48% more use on a single charge compared to existing solutions," the company adds, removing the need for a laptop screen to beam frames at a fixed rate.

LG Display operates as a separate business from LG Electronics and sells its panels to various TV and laptop brands. So there's a chance various PC makers will adopt the technology. For now, LG says the Oxide 1Hz panel will first launch in Dell's premium XPS lineup.

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