With color LCD panels being so prevalent in the market, the utilization of monochrome LCD in products is getting lesser. Based on my most recent experience, approximately 10% of the total LCD inquiries will only be asking for monochrome LCD. Will monochrome LCD eventually be phased-out? I think it will still take quite a while.
Monochrome LCD
Monochrome LCD still has its place in many product designs. Why? It is because monochrome LCD tooling (read: customization) cost is relatively cheap. If you have a product design that calls for a particular size to optimize the space in the product and you do not need the display to have video rate response time or to show heavy graphics, monochrome LCD may be feasible to consider. The customization cost can range from USD1k to USD12k, really depending on the extent of the customization. The customization cost of a Color LCD panel, on the other hand, is still very high at the time of writing, ranging from USD50k to USD100K. There is not many color LCD raw panel foundry is willing to take up customization if the volume is not attractive and also some other consideration.
Also driving a monochrome LCD uses less processing power, less memory-intensive than, say, driving a color LCD. Thereby bringing down the product cost in the electronics.
Some examples of monochrome LCD that are still relevant in some products (and many more):
So, Color or Monochrome LCD?
I must confess that a standard size color LCD panel can be considerably cheaper than a monochrome LCD of the same size dimension. This is due to the sheer volume of the standard size color LCD that are being churned out from color panel foundries. Volume bring the cost down.
With better aesthetic and visual performance of a color LCD, and if you (read: product designer) are able to design around a standard color LCD, then this case must be seriously considered. I suspect even with a higher electronic hardware cost, it will tip to the color option.
Further Discussion
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