Samsung will next quarter begin mass production of a 640 x 480 LCD screen that measures a mere 2.6in (6.5cm) diagonally.

Initially aimed at PDAs - both the Palm OS and Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PCs Second Edition enable VGA displays - the new panel will ultimately be pitched at smart-phone makers.

The tiny transflective display provides a resolution of almost 300dpi (dots per inch). That compares with a typical notebook display resolution of around 100dpi. The screen provides a 200:1 contrast ratio and a brightness rating of 150cd/m².

The Samsung panel uses amorphous silicon - the non-crystalline form of silicon - to fab the tiny thin-film transistors used to switch the screen's pixels on and off.

The South Korean giant said the panel will go into mass production in December. ®

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