At Japan's CEATEC expo, Sharp showcased two interesting inventions in display technology that hint towards the not-too-distant future of mobile VR and smartphone design. First off, Sharp produced a prototype display designed for VR headsets that features an outstanding pixel density of over 1000 pixels per inch. Considering the highest-resolution smartphone screens today hover somewhere around 500ppi,

Sharp's screen offers potentially double the sharpness. Of course, a pixel density this high would only make sense in a special use case scenario, such as that of VR headsets whose displays are typically small and positioned very close to the user's eyes. At such a short distance, the pixel density must be extremely high in order not to distinguish the individuals pixels, which would make for a grainy-looking image. Sharp's exceedingly sharp, for lack of a better word, screen measure 2 inches across and runs at a resolution of 2160 x 1920.

If this screen's image quality comes close to its sharpness, it could make for clear and deeply immersive VR experiences. It wouldn't be too off to compare the advent of such high-ppi VR screens with Apple's switch to a Retina display with the iPhone 4. The screen was notable for its amazing (at the time) sharpness that dealt away with the grainy look of mobile displays once and for all – at least beyond the entry-level handset range, that is.

At the same show, Sharp also showcased a prototype edge-to-edge smartphone with a front panel that's literally all screen. Both the display and the glass that covers it taper off at the corners, presenting a bezel-free design that appears quite attractive. Unfortunately, we don't know when Sharp plans to bring this concept to the market, or whether it will be the first smartphone maker to actually do so. But if the technology is there and developed to such an advanced stage, all-screen smartphones can't possibly be too far off.