Sharp is developing a “color memory LCD panel” for wearables that has dramatically lower power consumption, allowing smartbands, smartwatches and other devices with small displays to be used far longer.

The prototype panel, described as being in the 1-inch class size, uses 1,000 times less power than conventional LCDs in mobile devices and is slated to go into mass production in Japan next spring, a Sharp spokeswoman said.

It’s able to sip tiny amounts of power because its design uses two savings approaches — doing away with the energy-draining backlight and using semiconductor memory.

Instead of a backlight, it makes use of ambient light and reflector layers inside pixels to illuminate what’s on the display.

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