Sharp Corp. is developing flat-panel displays in different shapes as it wins orders from Chinese smartphone makers.
The new technology reduces the size requirements for a screen's outer edge, allowing for non-rectangular designs, including elliptical shapes, the company said in a statement Wednesday. Sharp is spending more than ¥35 billion expanding panel output as it taps demand for producers such as Xiaomi Corp., which outsells Apple Inc. in China and is entering 10 more international markets.
"The high-end smartphone display market is growing in China, with the speed of growth outpacing developed countries by about four times," Sharp Executive Director Kazunori Houshi said in Osaka. "We are now the first-tier supplier to seven Chinese smartphone makers, and we are planning to add up to six more this fiscal year."