Overkill or not, 4K-ready mobile devices are most likely going to arrive in the coming months/years, with Japan Display already showcasing a 12-inch tablet LCD panel ready to offer such a high-resolution.

The company is showing off this “monstrosity” at the FPD International 2013 trade show (Pacifico Yokohama – October 23-25), although this is just a demo display so far, as OEMs are yet to announce such 12-inch tablet models.

In addition to sporting 4K resolution (3840 x 2160) and 365ppi, the 12-inch LCD display also offers a 1000:1 contrast ratio, 160 degrees viewing angle and 500cd brightness. The display measures 273.67 x 164.40 x 1.96 mm, has a 2mm bezel on the sides and 6.8mm on top and bottom.

It’s not clear though when such panels will go into mass production.

This isn’t the first 4K display we see for mobile devices, and it’s certainly not going to be the last one, as smartphone and tablet makers will certainly push the boundaries to offer an even better viewing experience on mobile devices. After all, some mobile devices already offer 4K-recording capabilities, so it’s only natural to see some future smartphones and tablets pack 4K screens.

As for 12-inch tablets, this isn’t the first time we hear this particular tablet size tossed around, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see device makers come up with such models in the future.

The good news is that display technology can’t advance on its own, as such high-resolution panels will require plenty of processing power, not to mention improved batteries ready to handle it all.

Do we really need such high-resolution displays on mobile devices? There is no right answer here, because to OEMs it won’t really matter, especially for companies that are building Android-based devices, as the specs race is far from over. What do you think?