The new iPad Sale

Sharp is displaying publically for the first time tablet displays based on its IGZO technology at the CEATEC electronics show outside of Tokyo, amid persistent rumors Apple will use the displays in its upcoming tablets. The Japanese manufacturer, which has been mass producing the screens since August for an unnamed customer, is showing working tablet displays in 7-inch, 10-inch, and 13-inch form factors at its booth, though they are sealed off behind glass. IGZO technology, named after the indium gallium zinc oxide semiconductor on which it is based, can be used to make screens with smaller pixels that draw far less power than current models with more accurate touch sensitivity. Sharp is pushing the technology for smartphones and tablets. News reports have said Apple is leaning toward using IGZO in future products, including a rumored smaller version of its iPad tablet. No devices using IGZO technology are currently on the market. Sharp is a known supplier of screens to Apple devices. (See video of the new IGZO displays on show at Ceatec on YouTube.) Sharp is also showing samples of new high-definition LCD screens for smartphones, which display at 443 ppi on a 5-inch display, about 1.3 times the picture density of current versions. The screens in its booth show text that is clearly readable down to flea-sized font sizes. The company said the new displays, which it hopes will bring in premium prices, have just started mass production. In TVs, Sharp is demonstrating for the …